Annandale Students, Families, and Community:
As we move in to second quarter, this time of year can begin to feel challenging for both educators and students, especially students who have been struggling since the start of the school year. However, over the past six weeks, we have been intentional about supporting our struggling students through PRIDE Time, and this support has had a big impact on student learning.
What is remarkable about our approach to intervention is that we use evidence of student learning to respond to the needs of over 2,200 students. This means that multiple times throughout the year, we re-examine our students’ data and determine what levels of academic, behavior, and wellness support they may need next.
Now that the first quarter has ended and we have more data on our students, our instructional coaches recently came together to re-identify students in need of academic intervention and other specialized support. They will bring these lists to our content teams this week to finalize in preparation for PRIDE Time 2.0, which begins on Monday, November 27.
We also know that some of our students struggle in multiple courses. As a result, we are not able to meet all of their needs through PRIDE Time alone. To that end, we will begin our After School Academic Program (ASAP) to provide additional support to students who need it.
Like PRIDE Time 2.0, ASAP begins on Monday, November 27, and will be held Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays - our late bus days. Students may be assigned to one (1) or more of those days, depending on their individual needs. Students and families will receive an email with their PRIDE Time 2.0 and ASAP assignments. When you receive this notification, please remind your student of the importance of attending and working hard in these interventions.
As a student recently shared with me, “If I show up and work hard, my teachers won’t let me fail.”
Have a great week and as always, please let me know if you have any questions, and Go Atoms!
Shawn DeRose, Principal
Awesome Atoms
Annandale Awarded Educate Fairfax Grant To Promote Career Development in International Business: Annandale was awarded a grant from Educate Fairfax to support students interested in launching careers in international development around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This experience will allow students to analyze career options in international development with large organizations such as the World Bank and a hands-on opportunity to volunteer with DC Central Kitchen. Both organizations thrive on innovative solutions to respond to humanitarian needs. The trip benefits students of the Annandale Equity team for ELs, Alumni of the Center for International Education and Exchange (CIEE), and Just World. These students have shown an interest in this field and have already taken actionable steps to be changemakers. Now, they can talk with career professionals and program recipients to deepen their knowledge.
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Annandale HS Kicks Off Mentoring Program! This week, Annandale staff and community mentors came together with their mentees for our mentoring program kick-off event. They spent time bonding over food and had great conversations. Our staff and community mentors actively work to provide our student mentees with academic and wellness support. Thank you for all that you do!
W4 Activities Day Creates Connection to AHS! We held our monthly W4 Activities Day this past Monday. It was so fun to see students connect with each other and staff through activities such as playing games and sports, making friendship bracelets, learning Latin dance, scarf making, or just relaxing. Very few other schools the size of Annandale manage to organize an event like this, which we offer once a month. A huge thank you to our Activities Department for taking on this complex planning! Our next W4 Activities Day will be on Monday, December 11. We look forward to continuing to embed opportunities for our students to deepen their sense of connection and belonging at school.
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Annandale's National English Honor Society Inducts New Members: Annandale's National English Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony to officially welcome 33 new members. Since the founding of this chapter of NEHS, new members have received a white carnation as a symbol of their dedication to English Language Arts. We are so thrilled to welcome all our new members! Congratulations to these amazing students!
Students from NSSHS Volunteer at Columbia Elementary School: Sage and Sara Nagle recently represented Annandale High School and the Social Studies Honor Society at Columbia Elementary School, helping club sponsors run clubs for K-5 grades. Columbia ES will welcome high school volunteers for STEAM Club, Chess Club, and Board Games Club every Thursday from 4:30-5:30pm through Winter Break.
Annandale Students Win Engineering First Place at Innovation Contest: Annandale Atoms Carolina Valenzuela Rodriguez, Ava Sweall, Fatmata Musa, and An Pham presented their work for the Audi of America DRIVE: Drive Like a Girl engineering innovation contest. The Audi of America DRIVE: Like a Girl program is an annual STEM competition in which high school girls identify, design, and present a project focused on the automotive industry. The Annandale team was judged by a panel of engineers and employees from Audi and the Stem for Her organization. Their continued preparation and hard work led them to win first place!
Front Hall Upgraded with New Mural: At Annandale, we continue to invest in upgrading our campus. The front hallway recently received an upgrade that included a TV and new mural that showcases our diversity and school spirit! Special thanks to Capitol Murals for their great work!
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Veterans Day Celebration at AHS: Last week, we celebrated Veterans Day. During W4, staff and their family members were recognized for their service to our country. In Social Studies, students participated in a variety of activities including primary source analysis, learning more about career opportunities in the military, and student-led discussions around the history and significance of Veteran’s Day. We can never fully repay our debt of gratitude to the American service members who have sacrificed and served for this country. We can, however, recognize and thank the millions of veterans still living today, especially AHS staff members who served in our Armed Forces: Herb Eggert, Regina Jackson, PJ Taylor, and Leonard Bumbaca.
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.
Sign Up for a Writing Conference with the Atoms Writing Center: The trained peer tutors of the Atoms Writing Center will continue to provide support for students with writing in any class during the 2nd quarter. Use this link to sign up for a writing conference during 3rd quarter. If you haven’t already, you should also join our Schoology group to get important updates and announcements from the AWC all year by going to “Groups” > ”My Groups” > ”Join Group” then putting in this code: 9MSF-KSDM-B7HCP. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AtomsWC. Contact Mrs. Hanson with any questions.
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Important Dates
November 13 - Atoms Athletics Boosters Meeting, 6:00pm
November 14 - PTSA Meeting, 6:30pm
November 14 - Meet the Coaches Night
November 15 - Thanksgiving Lunch
November 17 - Outstanding Employee Nominations Due
November 17-18 - Fall Play "Radium Girls"
November 20-21 - Winter Sports Pictures
November 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break
November 26 - Fall Check In Survey Due
November 27 - PRIDE Time 2.0 Begins
November 27 - After School Academic Program (ASAP) Begins
November 30 - Parent Orchestra, 7pm
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 14 - PTSA Meeting, 6:30pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, November 14 at 6:30pmpm in the library. Spanish translation will be available. If you can't attend in person, consider joining us virtually on Zoom. 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.
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 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 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break: At Annandale, we hope you are able to spend the holiday break resting and rejuvenating in your favorite ways. In support of this, teachers will not assign homework, projects, or papers over breaks, and refrain 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 information and clarification.
November 26 - Student & Community Fall Check In Survey Due: 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. Check your 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. Thank you for providing an important perspective that will help us continue to get better!
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 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. Parents will also be notified of these assignments. We ask for your support in ensuring students stay after school.
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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: Last 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.
1st Quarter Attendance Report Mailed Home: Annandale recently mailed a 1st Quarter Attendance report with specific attendance data to families for each 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 student 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!
Winter Olympics Camp for Students Grades 2-8 - December 18-20: Annandale High School will be sponsoring a 3-day Winter Olympics Camp at Poe Middle School for students in 2nd through 8th grade 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. Link: https://bit.ly/Olympics23Poe
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.
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 December 20, the Transcript Request Form is due on November 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
A reminder that Winter Sideline Cheer and Winter Indoor Track will hold their first day of tryouts Monday, November 13 after school! Freshman girls basketball is still taking any interested freshman looking to join the freshman girls basketball team. If you have questions about sideline cheer, indoor track, or freshman girls basketball, contact the coaches below!
Sideline Cheer - Victoria Douglas - vcdouglas@fcps.edu; Indoor Track - Phil Harris - pcharris@fcps.edu; Freshman Girls Basketball - Chelsea Harrison - charrison@fcps.edu
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.
This week...
Monday, November 13
Atoms Athletics Boosters Meeting - 6:00pm (Driver's Ed Room)
Tuesday, November 14
Winter Meet the Coaches Night - 7:00pm (Cafeteria)
Wednesday, November 15
Wrestling Scrimmage - 6:00pm (Auxiliary Gym)
Friday, November 17
Girls Basketball @ Wakefield - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm
Fall Play - "Radium Girls" - 7:00pm (Auditorium)
Saturday, November 18
Boys Basketball @ Woodbridge - 9:00/10:20am/12:00pm
Fall Play - "Radium Girls" - 2:00pm/7:00pm (Auditorium)
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.
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