Annandale Students, Families, and Community:
As some of you know, Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year, and our halls last week were filled with spirited students and staff! A few highlights included our English department, who dressed up as Barbies and Kens; our admin team, who were ghostbusters, Slimer and Marshmallow Man; and a student dressed as a huge, red balloon dog. I hope students enjoyed this fun day!
As a reminder, tomorrow and Tuesday are work days for teachers. Our staff will come together tomorrow for our General Session, where we will continue to learn about the ways we are getting better at providing high quality instruction for all students. Our instructional foundation at Annandale includes:
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Learning targets to ensure students know what they are learning, how they are learning it, and how they will know if they are understanding;
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High level academic tasks that require students to synthesize, analyze, and evaluate, rather than simply recall or identify;
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Scaffolds that provide students access to high level thinking and that grow with students as their needs change; and
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Evidence of student learning that empowers teachers, students and families to respond to students’ learning needs
Teachers will also use these days to finalize grades and plan for the upcoming quarter. SIS ParentVue and StudentVue will be unavailable until Tuesday, November 14 as teachers prepare grades. As always, please reach out to your student’s teachers with any questions.
With the school year well underway, we want to hear from our staff, students and families. Specifically, we would like to hear what is going well for you and your student, what is a challenge you would like to work together to problem-solve, who is someone who has helped you, and answer any questions. Keep an eye out for an email with a link to our Fall Check In Survey. We would appreciate your feedback by Sunday, November 26. In the coming weeks, we will share survey trends as well as how we are responding to your feedback.
Finally, Saturday, November 11, is Veterans Day. To celebrate and honor our veterans, we will hold a special Veterans Day lesson during W4 on Friday. During this lesson students will have an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recognize the extraordinary sacrifices our Veterans and their families have made on our behalf. We thank all of our Veterans for their service.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions, and Go Atoms!
Shawn DeRose, Principal
Awesome Atoms
EPF Teachers Earn Educate Fairfax Grant: The Economics and Personal Finance team has received a grant that will allow them to participate in the Stock Market Game this coming February and April. The game allows students to research and trade companies on the NASDAQ and NYSE real time with accurate information. Students will work in teams to create a portfolio that will hopefully result in gains. The experience offers the valuable opportunity to engage with the stock market in a low-risk situation to help them deepen their understanding of the risks and rewards of investing their money. Decisions on the portfolio will be made as a team, helping students strengthen their communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. In addition, students will compete on a state and national level for scholarships.
Annandale Celebrates First Hispanic Heritage Week: Students proudly shared their Hispanic heritage and School Spirit all week long in the first Hispanic Heritage Spirit Week. Huge shout out to Ms. Gonzalez and the Hispanic Student Union for organizing this event, and all who participated!
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AVID Teacher, Ms. Wells, Awarded Grant for “Launching Careers at NOVA” Program: Educate Fairfax has awarded AHS $1885 to provide transportation for AHS students to visit career programs on NOVA campuses. Students will visit the NOVA Medical Education Campus, NOVA Automotive Technology campus, and NOVA Information and Engineering Technology campus to gain hands-on experiences and learn how to launch their careers. Any questions email Laura Wells.
Yesly Gonzalez, Annandale School Counselor, Attends Virginia School Counselor Association (VSCA) Conference: Yesley Gonzalez, School Counselor at Annandale, recently attended the Virginia School Counselor Association (VSCA) Conference. At the conference, Ms. Gonzalez washable to attend sessions on evidence-based programs in the domains of academic achievement, emotional growth, social development, career exploration, and post-secondary planning. According to Ms. Gonzalez, “The conference also provided me the opportunity to sharpen my counseling skills and techniques to better serve our students, and it was also great meeting counselors from all over the state.”
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Important Dates
November 6 - Winter Sports Tryouts Begin
November 6 - School Planning Day (No School for Students)
November 7 - Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)
November 8 - W4 Activities Day
November 14 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm
November 14 - Meet the Coaches Night
November 15 - Thanksgiving Lunch
November 17-18 - Fall Play "Radium Girls"
November 20-21 - Winter Sports Pictures
November 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break
November 27 - PRIDE Time 2.0 Begins
November 27 - After School Academic Program (ASAP) Begins
Now Through November 14 - Limited Access to SIS ParentVue & StudentVue: SIS ParentVUE, and StudentVUE will be unavailable for all users through Tuesday, November 14 as teachers prepare grades. Weekly progress reports will not be emailed to parents/guardians during this time; they will resume Tuesday, November 14.
November 6 - Winter Sport Tryouts Begin: Winter sports include basketball, swim & dive, wrestling, gymnastics, and indoor track. In order to participate, there are 2 items that need to be completed prior to the first day of tryouts: 1) Sports Physical - Completed and turned in to Athletic Trainers Ryan Hughes and 2) Activity Registration. This is an online submission that encompasses the Emergency Care Form and Concussion Education Training.
Here is the Winter Tryout Schedule. Any athlete without a physical and registration on file by Friday, November 3 will not be allowed to tryout on Monday, November 6. Athletes submitting physicals and registration post November 3 will be eligible to tryout the day after the physical and registration have been submitted. For more information about tryouts, check out www.annandaleatoms.net.
November 6 & 7 - Teacher Workday: No school for students.
November 8 - W4 Activities Day: On Wednesday, November 8, Annandale will host W4 Activities Day. Students will have an opportunity to attend club meetings or join in on a variety of other activities. Students selected their preferred activity via a Google form shared through their W-4 lessons and on Schoology and an email was sent out this weekend sharing their assigned session for Wednesday. We are excited to offer this experience for our students and look forward to offering more ways to help our students feel connected to school.
November 15 - Thanksgiving Lunch: Students will be able to purchase a Thanksgiving Lunch in the cafeteria on Wednesday, November 15! The menu will consist of turkey with stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and fresh apples or chilled peaches. Check out the FCPS School Lunch page for more information about lunches!
November 17 and 18 - Fall Play Radium Girls: Annandale Theatre Company presents, Radium Girls November 17-18! This TikTok viral play takes place in 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by true events, Radium Girls tells the story of female laborers who were poisoned and killed by their factory's radium-based paint.
November 17 at 7pm and November 18 at 2pm and 7pm. Students $5, Seniors $10, General $15. Click here to purchase tickets to the show.
Exclusive Opportunity… For the November 17 showing, our culinary team will be hosting a dinner inspired by Radium Girls. The menu will feature Oysters Rockefeller, Bacon wrapped bison meatloaf, and Pineapple upside down cake. The menu will also include a drink and be served in a seated style by our culinary students. Cost is $18 for a 3 course meal. With the purchase of dinner, you will receive a $5 discount on tickets to the show. Reserve your spot and dinner here.
November 27 - PRIDE Time 2.0: We are continuing to improve the way we identify students for targeted intervention through PRIDE Time. We will be making changes to students’ PRIDE Time assignments based upon the needs of individual students in preparation for PRIDE Time 2.0, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 27.
November 27 - After School Academic Program (ASAP) Begins: Beyond the support we provide during the school day, teachers also stay after school to work with students who need additional help. Our after-school academic support program (ASAP) will begin November 27 and will run each week on our late-bus days: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Students assigned to ASAP will receive notification of their day, teacher, and location, this week. Parents will also be notified of these assignments. We ask for your support in ensuring students stay after school.
Students will be able to purchase a Thanksgiving Lunch in the cafeteria on Wednesday, November 15! The menu will consist of turkey with stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and fresh apples or chilled peaches. Check out the FCPS School Lunch page for more information about lunches!
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FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards - Now Accepting Nominations!
We believe that our staff is truly unparalleled and that the work we do for our students deserves celebration and recognition beyond Atom Nation. 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 hope you will help us celebrate the amazing work done every day at Annandale High School by highlighting some of our amazing staff members!
To nominate an Annandale staff member, please complete the AHS Outstanding Employee Nomination Form. If you are interested in learning more about the overall FCPS awards process, you can visit the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards Website. Nominations are due on Friday, November 17. Contact Jae Lee with any questions.
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Academic Support
Need Help in Your Class? Stay With Your Teacher After School! Annandale High School offers late bus transportation three (3) days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. All teachers stay after school at least one day a week to provide academic support for students. Please refer to this list to see which day your student’s teacher is available after school.
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.
Attention Juniors! Writing WorkKeys Workshop on November 8: The Atoms Writing Center will be holding a workshop on the Writing WorkKeys during the next W4 Activities Day on November 8. All juniors will be required to pass the Writing WorkKeys in order to graduate. This workshop will give you the opportunity to review tips before the exam, practice responding to an extra prompt, and get one-on-one feedback from an Atoms Writing Center tutor. All juniors should consider signing up for the Atoms Writing Center’s WorkKeys Workshop for the November W4 Activities Day.
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Important Information
Federal Impact Aid Survey: FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year. The grants from these programs will become part of FCPS' general operating budget and are critical to ensuring that all children in FCPS receive an excellent education. This year, families will have access to the Federal Impact Aid Survey in electronic format via ParentVUE. All parents with a ParentVUE account will be able to complete the survey online using their computer at home. Step by step directions for filling out the online form can be found here. For families unable to complete the survey on-line, a paper form will be available. Also, families who do not complete the online application by the requisite deadline will be provided with a printed survey form.
Attendance Policy Postcards Sent to Families: This week an Attendance Policy Postcard was mailed to every AHS family explaining our attendance policies, practices and consequences for full-day absence, tardiness and absence from class. If you have any questions about your student’s attendance, please call the Annandale Attendance Office at 703-642-4151.
SAT School Score Reports Available to Students: Students who participated in the School Day SAT now have access to SAT score reports. Students who participated in the SAT on October 26 will have access to scores on November 16. Students can access scores via their College Board accounts. A video tutorial for accessing and understanding SAT scores is available on the College Board website.
Coming Soon! 1st Quarter Attendance Report Mailed Home: Each family will soon receive a 1st Quarter Attendance report with specific attendance data for their student, including total number of days and classes they were reported late or having missed completely. In addition, the report provides statistics on the long-term negative impacts of poor attendance, and ways parents can encourage and support improved attendance. If you have any questions about your student’s attendance, please call the Annandale Attendance Office at 703-642-4107.
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Opportunities
“Radium Girls” Dinner & Show - November 17: Our culinary team will be hosting their first dinner inspired by the theatre department performing “Radium Girls” which is set in the 1930/40s. The menu will feature Oysters Rockefeller, Bacon wrapped bison meatloaf, and Pineapple upside down cake. The menu will include a drink as well and be served in a seated style by culinary students. Cost is $18 for a 3 course meal. With the purchase of dinner, you get a $5 discount on tickets to the show! Reserve your spot and dinner here!
2023 Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School: The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) offers the opportunity for students in Grade 10 & 11 to apply to attend summer residential Governor’s schools in academics and Visual and Performing Arts. Students who are accepted into one of the programs will live in residence halls in one of the state colleges in Virginia for four weeks in the June - late July timeframe. To learn more about these opportunities, visit the Virginia Department of Education website and view the promotional video. All applications must be returned to Mr. Zubieta in Student Services. Late applications will not be accepted. Interested students should complete either the interest forms for the Academic Program or the Visual and Performing Arts Program. Questions? Please reach out to Mr. Zubieta.
World Language Governor's Academies Applications Open: World Language Students, Annandale High School is in the process of nominating students to apply for the 2024 World Language Governor's Academies. Spanish and French Academies consist of 3 weeks of full immersion at Washington and Lee University; sophomores and juniors in levels 3 and above who are not native speakers are invited to apply. We will also be nominating sophomores and juniors in levels 2 and above to attend the partial-immersion Japanese academy at Randolph Macon College - no Japanese experience required! For more information, visit the FCPS website and sign up for the November 7 interest meeting. Ready to apply? Email World Languages Department Chair Lauren Paz Soldan by November 10!
The A-Blast Subscriptions Available: The A-Blast will publish usually the last week of each month, and you can always pick up a copy in the newsstand in the main lobby or subscribe for home delivery. It’s a great way to keep up with the news of AHS through the perspective of student journalists. The newspaper is published monthly and it is often ranked in the Top 10 of all high school newspapers nationwide. AHS is the only school to have a printing partnership with The Washington Post, which prints the newspaper for free. Donate any amount, and email your home mailing address to Alan Weintraut to subscribe.
No Cost Therapy for High Schoolers: High school students can access virtual mental health services at no cost through an FCPS program with Hazel Health. Hazel Health therapists are licensed and also trained in teen-specific challenges. Students can be referred by a guardian or designated staff member and participate in weekly video therapy sessions. The therapists will work with students until they achieve their therapy goals, or they can help connect the family with long-term mental health services in the community if needed. Learn how to opt your students into this service.
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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.
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 20, the Transcript Request Form is due on October 20. 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 College & Career Planning Google site.
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. Students are welcome to drop in with questions about any aspect of the process.
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 to 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!
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Opening in December: The FAFSA is needed to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid. Families of current seniors should be thinking about completing financial aid applications in order for students to be eligible to receive financial help to cover the costs of post-secondary education. With the late opening of the FAFSA, there are some things families can do now (English only). A funding opportunity is available for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA — the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) program. Find out which aid option is right for your family on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia website.
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News from the Activities Office
With the fall season officially in the books for all of our teams, it's now time to turn our attention to all things winter! On Monday, November 6 tryouts begin for Basketball, Swim, Gymnastics and Wrestling. Indoor Track and Winter Cheer will get started the following week, on Monday, November 13. See below for the complete week 1 schedule. Keep in mind that we do not have school on Monday and Tuesday!
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.
November 14 - Winter Meet the Coaches Night: On Tuesday, parents will have the opportunity to learn more about supporting their winter sports student athlete at Meet the Coaches Night at 7:00pm in the cafeteria.
November 20 & 21 - Winter Sports Pictures: Team and individual pictures for winter sports will occur on Monday, November 20 and Tuesday, November 21 in Clausen Hall. Final schedule for pictures will come out by November 8.
Wrestling Spirit Wear Now Available: Wrestling fans! The 2023-2024 Atoms Wrestling Team Spirit Wear store is now open! This year the Grappling Atoms are partnering with Cheers Sports to help bring you awesome gear to wear during the season (and beyond)! Orders are due by Friday, November 10! Click here for the team store! If you have any questions, feel free to email Coach Damico.
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