Annandale Community Insider - September 25

Annandale Students, Parents and Community:

It was great to see so many of you during Back to School Night! For a third year in a row, we were so lucky to have a beautiful evening for this event. Many parents shared with me how grateful they were for the opportunity to meet with teachers in such a welcoming environment. One staff member new to Annandale commented that our Back to School Night felt like a block party. I often say that, next to graduation, Back to School Night is the most important event of the year, because it highlights the ways we partner to support our students. Thank you to all who were able to attend! If you were not able to make it, please feel free to reach out to any of your student’s teachers for information about how they are progressing.

This week is Homecoming Week! We encourage all of our students to show their school spirit by dressing up each day (check out the themes below) and participating in our many fun events. On Friday, students will attend a Pep Rally outside in our stadium. Friday afternoon, we invite all of Atom Nation to come together for our Homecoming Tailgate, from 4:00-6:00pm in the front parking lot. Come on out and enjoy food from local food trucks, outdoor games, and walk around to learn about our clubs and activities. This is a great place to meet up before the football game and get in the school spirit to support our Atoms Football Team! See below for more Homecoming week events.

The Annandale community is a special place. I am continually impressed that any time I am out and about wearing my Annandale gear, people stop me to share their connection to Atom Nation. They are former students, or they are excited their children will be attending Annandale. Events like our Back to School Night and Homecoming Tailgate are just a few great examples of how we work hard to cultivate those connections with our families and ensure everyone feels a sense of belonging in Atom Nation.

Have a great week. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Homecoming 2023

September 27 - Flag Football Championship:  The Annandale Student Leadership Team will be hosting our annual flag football game this Wednesday, September 27beginning at 7pm on the stadium field. Admission is $5. Come on out and show support as our Sophomores battle it out on the field against our Juniors. The winners get to play our Senior class. Will the class of 2024 come out victorious or will one of the underclass teams take the win…  

September 28 - Movie Night: On Thursday evening, students will come together in the auditorium from 6:00 to 8:00pm to watch a movie. Entrance is free, just bring money for concessions.

September 29 - Pep Rally: Our fall pep rally will be held on Friday afternoon. We will follow our special red day pep rally schedule. Students will be released from class at 1:55pm to attend the single pep rally on the stadium from 2:10-2:55pm. Students will be dismissed from school immediately following the pep rally.

September 29 - Homecoming Tailgate: This year's tailgate is used as a way to bring the community together before our homecoming football game from 4:00-6:00pm in the front parking lot. Enjoy food from local food trucks, outdoor games, and walk around to learn about different clubs at AHS. It’s a great place to meet up before the football game and get in the school spirit to support our Atoms Football Team!

September 30 - Homecoming Dance: The Homecoming Dance is on September 30 from 8:00-11:00pm. Dress up and enjoy "A Night In Paris'' with music, dancing, and a variety of food trucks.

Awesome Atoms

WorkKeys Success! This week 8 Seniors passed WorkKeys Business Writing and 5 Seniors passed WorkKeys Workplace Documents to earn Writing or Reading verified credit, putting them all one step closer to meeting their graduation requirements.  Most of these students have taken one, or both, of these tests multiple times. Their perseverance & determination paid off!  Additionally, Jeff Smith & Coach Bagot’s double block English 11/12 students took WorkKeys Business Writing this week. 85% of their students passed on their first attempt.  Special shout out to Mr. Smith, Coach Bagot, Tricia Kapuscinski, Megan Pacileo, Kaitlyn Clarke, and Nancy Lynn Wilson for their hard work preparing students for these tests!

Student-Created Lesson Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of the members of our community whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Here at Annandale, our Leadership class created a W4 Advisory lesson educating our students on the history and importance of this month-long celebration. They also shared interviews of staff members and students of Hispanic heritage in which they shared their favorite traditions, music, and foods. At the end of the lesson, students will play a Quizizz to reflect on their learning.

Welcome Matthew Carlock, New Dean of Students! Annandale is excited to welcome Matthew Carlock to Annandale High School as our new Dean of Students beginning on October 2. Matt was raised in San Antonio, TX but his teaching journey took him to Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, where he not only met his future wife, but received a B.A. in History and later an MS in Secondary Education.

He began teaching history to middle schoolers which he continued after moving to Troy, NY. Eventually the winds of change lead him and his wife to Virginia. He moved toward leadership roles at Mountain View ALC and West Potomac High School after achieving post-graduate certification from George Mason University. He is beyond excited to begin this new role at Annandale High School, as long as he can get his phone number right. Outside of school buildings his two boys, ages 5 and 1, keep him and his wife on their toes. A good amount of his precious little downtime is spent reading, writing, playing board games, or defending Hyrule. He built a treehouse over the summer and now uses it more than his kids for relaxing.

Important Dates

September 29 - SR&R Acknowledgement Due

October 2 - W4 Activities Day

October 2 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting, 6pm

October 4 - PRIDE Time Begins

October 4 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving

October 5 - World Language Credit Exam Deadline

October 9 - Indigenous Peoples' Day (No School for Students)

October 11 - PSAT/SAT Day

October 15 - FCPS College Fair

October 16 & 17 - Virtual Postsecondary Night

October 19 - IB Senior Diploma Library Day

June 3 - AHS Graduation, 9:30am

Now Through October 15 - National Hispanic Heritage Month: From now until October 15, FCPS and Annandale High School recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.

September 29 -  Student Rights and Responsibilities Acknowledgement Due: FCPS’ updated Student Rights and Responsibility (SR&R) booklet is available online and in SIS ParentVUE. The SR&R booklet explains expectations for student behavior, and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. Each year, FCPS asks parents/caregivers to review and sign the SR&R. The SR&R will be visible upon logging in to SIS ParentVUE until the SR&R acknowledgment has been completed. Signatures are due by Friday, September 29. Visit the SIS ParentVUE Account Overview webpage for help logging in to your account. 

October 2 - W4 Activities Day: One of our goals this year is to increase student involvement at Annandale outside of the classroom. One way we are doing this is by providing opportunities for clubs to meet during the school day. These opportunities will occur on the first White Day Monday of each month from October to April. Check out the following module for more information about W4 Activities Day.

October 4 - PRIDE Time Begins: At Annandale, we work together to support our students’ needs. One way we do this is through our approach to targeted intervention through PRIDE Time. This year, PRIDE Time 1.0 will begin on October 4. Coaches will be using a comprehensive data wall to identify students, and CTs will collaborate to determine their approach to PRIDE Time. Students not identified for PRIDE Time will be placed in a Study Hall and can be requested by other Study Hall teachers to receive support, as needed. As a reminder, students who have been identified for PRIDE Time may not be requested. Students’ schedules will be updated in SIS no later than October 3. Please reach out to Erik Healey with questions.

October 4 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving: Included in Grade 10 Health & PE is one quarter, or 30-36 hours, of in-classroom driver education. To get your driver’s license in Virginia, you must successfully complete, or pass, the classroom portion of driver education. You must also attend a 90-minute parent-teen traffic safety program, Partners for Safe Teen Driving, or PSTD, with a parent/guardian. Annandale High School is hosting five (5) PSTD presentations this school year, one each quarter and two during the fourth quarter. They are free to students enrolled in Health & PE 10 at Annandale HS and begin at 6:30pm in the auditorium. You must attend with a parent/guardian, arrive ON TIME, and remain the duration of the presentation for your attendance to be verified. Choose a date convenient for you and your parent/guardian. You may attend a session outside of your Driver Education quarter. Register here for a PSTD session that works for you! If you have any questions, please contact Lizzie McManus. Partners for Safe Teen Driving Dates at Annandale High School: October 4, January 10, March 13, April 17 and May 8.

October 5 - World Language Credit Exam Deadline: The 2023 World Languages Credit Exam will be administered on November 8, 9, and 13, 2023. Thirty (30) languages will be included: American Sign Language (ASL), Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin), Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Registration opens on Tuesday, September 5 at 8:00am and closes on Thursday, October 5 at 4:00pm. Late registrations will not be accepted. School counselors at Annandale will register interested students. Credit exam information can be accessed at on the FCPS website.

October 19 - IB Senior Diploma Library Day: On Thursday, October 19, IB Seniors will be in the library all day working on their Extended Essays. If you are supervising a student and have any time this day, students can be released to come to your classroom to get help or you are welcome to come down anytime in the library.  Students will not be released to attend class.  Please do not cover new content if a majority of your students are IB diploma seniors. 

June 3 - Class of 2024 Graduation: Mark your calendars! The Annandale Class of 2024 will graduate on Monday, June 3, at 9:30am, at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University.

Opportunities

Annandale Tutoring Center Open Mondays: Students can now get tutoring from AVID and honor society members, every Monday in Room 287 from 3:00-400pm. Tutors will be available to help in math, science and social studies. Contact Ms. Lukacs with questions.

Thursday College Application Workshops: Every Thursday from 3:00-4:00pm in Room 90 (near the Cafeteria), Counselors and AVID students will be assisting students with various topics: Making a College List; Transcript Request Form; Common App; Recommendation Requests. These topics will be repeated, starting September 21. Students are welcome to drop in with questions about any aspect of the process. 

IB Parent Meeting Presentations: Linda Bradshaw, IB Coordinator, held presentations at Back to School Night on September 21st. Families of IB students learned the core requirements of the IB diploma and how to support their students through their IB journey. For those that were unable to attend, please check out the presentations here: IB Junior Parent Meeting Slides (Class of 2025), IB Senior Parent Meeting Slides (Class of 2024). Email Linda Bradshaw with any questions.

Honor Societies

Students at Annandale High School have the opportunity to join many different honor societies. Below you will find the eligibility criteria and application information, including deadlines.

Due September 29 - National English Honor Society: Juniors or Seniors who are interested in and have a passion for English class, literature, or writing, are dedicated to helping students strengthen English skills, and would like to do literacy-based service activities within the Annandale community, are invited to join the National English Honor Society. NEHS is open to all juniors and seniors with at least a 3.5 GPA in English, and a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all classes.NEHS meets approximately 8-9 times throughout the school year. Members must be committed and may only miss 2 meetings. Apply here!

Due September 29 - Math Honor Society: Students who have completed Geometry, are currently enrolled in a Math class and maintain a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.5 GPA in Math are eligible to join! Boost your math skills, collaborate with peers, and earn community service hours. If interested, see Mr. Obando or Mr. Martins to pick up an application.

Due September 29 - Social Studies Honor Society: Juniors and Seniors interested in history, politics, and the social sciences, may apply to join the Social Studies National Honor Society RHO KAPPA. Members will have a positive impact on campus and in the Annandale Community. You must be a Senior or Junior with a GPA of 3.0 as well as have a recommendation from a previous social studies teacher. Check with your social studies teacher for an application or stop by Room 292 or 289B.

Due October 6 - Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica: The Spanish Honor Society is an honor society for high school students enrolled in Spanish and/or Portuguese. Eligible students maintain a 3.5 GPA in the study of Spanish for a minimum of three semesters at the High School Level. Freshmen cannot be inducted without special permission from the SHH Director. Current members don’t need to reapply. Meetings are held during W4 Clubs & Activities Days. Applications for membership are available in room M23 during the month of September. The application deadline for the current year is October 6. Acceptance decisions will be shared with students via emails by October 16.

Due October 13 - Science National Honor Society: Juniors or Seniors enrolled in an IB Science course with a GPA of 3.5 are eligible to apply to be a member of the Science Honor Society. Members of SNHS are recognized for excellence in encouraging and recognizing scientific and intellectual thought. Application link is available here.

Due October 16 - Computer Science Honor Society: All students who are interested in learning and sharing information related to computer science topics and who will participate in community service to teach others in the community about CS. Meetings will be held one or two times per month where students can learn about Computer Science topics and also receive support if they are currently enrolled in a Computer Science course. Apply here!

October 31 - National Honor Society: Applications for Annandale National Honor Society will begin in October. In order to make ensure every student who us interested in applying recieves application information, students can sign up early using this Google Form that will put them on an email list used to share the application when it is available. Eligible students who wish to apply will receive an acceptance invitation in November via their school emails with further information.

Students in grades 10-12 who currently have an overall unweighted GPA of 3.5 are eligible to apply. The application will also consider students’ previous service, leadership and character examples/experiences. Current members do not need to reapply this year and will receive information about our first members meeting for this school year by the end of September. If students have any questions, they can email Michelle Luka.

Due November 10 - National Art Honor Society: Students in grades 10-12 who maintain a B or better in an upper level art course are taking an art class are eligible to join this society of artists who hold each other accountable, lift up our members, give back to our community, and stand out as artistic leaders. We take on cool service projects and collaborate across different mediums of art to make Annandale a better place. Applications open up toward the end of the first quarter and are due by November 10. Questions? See Ms. Lucas in Rm 148 or Ms. Mahoney in Rm 146.

Coming in March - Société Honoraire de Français: Members of the National French Honor Society excel in the areas of scholarship, character, and leadership. The goals of the organization are to promote and reward high standards of scholarship, stimulate interest in the study of French, and create enthusiasm for and an understanding of francophone culture and civilization.

FHS is invitation only. Personal letters of invitation sent in March to students in grades 10, 11, or 12 who are enrolled in or have completed French III or higher, maintain an “A” in French coursework, maintain an exemplary discipline record. Upon acceptance, new members will participate in the induction ceremony in the Spring and attend FHS meetings through the end of the year. Current members will receive updated information in September via email and Schoology regarding future meetings, activities and opportunities.

News from Student Services

College & Career Planning Google Site: Check out the College & Career Planning Google site, which 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.

Register For College Rep Visits: Are you interested in hearing from college admissions representatives from colleges you are interested in applying to? Please follow the directions below to register. (Juniors and Seniors ONLY). Log into Naviance and click "Student Naviance Login." Click on "Colleges" at the top of the page and then click on "college visits." You will then see a list of all the colleges that are visiting, along with the dates and times. Click "register now" for the visits you would like to attend. Students must show the email to their teacher and get permission at attend. Students who are not registered in Naviance for a college visit will be denied entry. Please note that students are limited to registering for up to six college visits!

October 15 - FCPS College Fair: High school students and their families are invited to attend the FCPS College Fair at George Mason University’s Eagle Bank Arena on Sunday, October 15, 4-7pm. The fair will feature admissions representatives from more than 250 colleges and universities from across the United States and abroad. Register here!

October 16 & 17 - Virtual Postsecondary Night: FCPS will offer two virtual events on Monday & Tuesday, October 16 & 17 from 5-8pm. The events will feature workshops related to the college admissions process, financial aid, and other postsecondary educational opportunities. 

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.

Annandale Hosts Youth Field Hockey Clinics: Annandale Field Hockey will be holding Youth Field Hockey Clinics for players in K-Grade 8 on October 3, 17 and 24. The cost is only $75 per player. Please register on the following link. Please contact Coach Uviedo if you have any questions. 

October 2 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting: Jon us at  our next Atoms Booster Club meeting on Tuesday, October 2 at 6pm in Room 43. You can also check out the Atoms Booster Blast to learn more about how you can get involved and help support our student-athletes at Annandale!

This Week’s Schedule: 

Monday, September 25

National District Golf Tournament @ Greendale Golf Club

Tuesday, September 26

Cross Country vs @ Franconia Park - 5:00pm

V Field Hockey @ Hayfield - 6:00pm

F/JV/V Volleyball @ Falls Church - 5:00/6:00/7:15pm

Wednesday, September 27

Flag Football Championship of the World - 7pm

Thursday, September 28

F/JV/V Volleyball vs Hayfield - 5:00/6:00/7:15pm

V Field Hockey vs Lewis - 6:30pm (SENIOR NIGHT)

JV Football @ Bishop Ireton - 4:00pm

F Football @ Park View - 7:15pm

Friday, September 29

V Football vs Bishop Ireton - 7:00pm (Homecoming)

Saturday, September 30

Marching Atoms @ South County

Homecoming Dance - 8:00-11:00pm

Support Annandale Booster Organizations!

Purchase a Discount Red Card! Each fall, our sports programs sell a discount “Red Card” to raise money for their teams. The red cards include various discounts at local businesses including: Community Car Care, Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mike’s, Sunoco, Kilroy’s, Subway, D1 Training, Barnside Diner, and AHS Sports Camps. Red Cards are only $20 and can be used at any of the businesses through August 2024. If you would like to purchase a Red Card, please reach out to a fall athlete or email Brandon Sutphin, Director of Student Activities.

Join the Annandale PTSA! The Annandale High School PTSA is committed to helping our students and community. Together, we sponsor many programs and activities for our students, parents, and staff, including teacher grants, community outreach events, AHS Food Pantry, All Night Grad Celebration, Senior Scholarships, and more! Please consider joining for the 2023-2024 school year by filling out the online Membership Form. For more information about membership visit the Annandale PTSA website. 

Purchase an All-Season Pass Athletic Pass! The Atoms Booster Club’s All-Season pass provides you general admission access to all regular season home football, baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, and wrestling events. With more than nine sports showcased, you can save BIG with the all-season pass! 

Cost: Student Pass - $30; Adult Pass - $60; Parking Pass - $30; Fan Pass - $25. To purchase your Atoms Pass, click here! 23-24 Atoms Booster Pass.

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.

Support the Annandale PTSA Pantry, Be a Red Bag Donor! This year, we are partnering with Food for Neighbors to help stock our shelves. Please sign up to be a red bag donor. It is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Just sign up to be a red bag donor. Fill the red bag with the list provided by email of full-sized items needed. Then, put the red bag outside your door by 8:30am on the donation days.