Annandale Community Insider - December 17

Donate Gift Cards for AHS Staff

At events throughout the year, we recognize staff who go above and beyond with gift cards donated by community members at the beginning of the year. It has been a huge hit and I am requesting your help again since we are not permitted to use any kind of FCPS funds, local or otherwise, for this purpose. It is amazing how much a $5 or $10 gift card is appreciated. If you are so inclined, please feel free to drop them off at the main office or place them in the mail. Attention: Jen Buchanan. It can be for any business you want to support, in any amount. Nothing is too small.

Important Dates

December 18 - 29 - Winter Break

January 1 - New Year’s Day (No School)

January 3 - Course & Electives Fair

January 5 - Course Selection Day

January 5 - IB Diploma Recognition Ceremony, 6pm

January 8 - Hidden In Plain Sight Presentation, 7pm

January 8 - February 16: Individual Academic Advising Meetings

January 9 - Navigating College Financial Aid Workshop, 6pm

January 15 - Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (No School)

January 17 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6pm

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

January 26 - Student Holiday

January 3 - Course & Electives Fair: Students will visit information sessions on three courses of their choosing during our Course & Elective Fair. Our electives and IB teachers will provide a 15 minute overview of the course to help students make informed decisions about their course selections for next year. 

January 5 - Course Selection Day: Students in grades 9-11 will select their courses for the 2024-2025 school year during W4 using a Google Form. This will help prepare students for their individual academic advising conversations with their counselors. Students will only be able to submit the form once and a copy will be emailed to their student email account. All students must have selected courses by February 23.

January 5 - IB Diploma Recognition Ceremony: Our IB Graduates of 2023 will be returning on January 5 during W4/Pride Time to share their post high school/college experiences as well as receive their IB certificates. Students who are currently pursuing the IB diploma, as well as sophomores enrolled in advanced chemistry have been invited to attend. We will open with a panel led by our graduates about their IB experiences and then distribute certificates. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

January 8 - Hidden In Plain Sight Presentation, 7pm: The Annandale HS PTSA invites you to “Hidden In Plain Sight” on Monday, January 8 at 7pm in Clausen Hall. The Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS) program is an in-person interactive program for adults to be educated about the signs of risky behavior in teens and young adults.  It touches on drug and alcohol use, vaping, mental health and behavioral concerns, risky sexual behaviors, trending "challenges” and more. Registration is required. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/hipsahs010824

January 8 - February 16: Individual Academic Advising Meetings: Students will meet one-on-one with their counselors to finalize their course selections for next year through their English classes. They will receive an email with their specific appointment times. Counselors will begin meeting with current juniors on January 8 and continue meeting with students through mid-February. 

January 9 - Navigating College Financial Aid Workshop, 6pm: Annandale High School will hold a College Financial Aid Workshop on January 9 at 6:00pm where students and families can get assistance completing the FAFSA financial aid application or VASA financial aid application for undocumented students.

Students may also sign up to meet with Ms. Mayhieu, our financial aid champion, on Fridays during lunch. Students can ask their counselor or Mr. Yeagley to sign them up for the appropriate lunch block. Ms. Mayhieu can help students with both account creation and completing the FAFSA when it becomes available in January. 

January 17 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6pm: On January 17 from 6-8pm Annandale HS will host an Open House for our rising 9th grade students and families to learn more about what high school at Annandale is all about! We will offer short optional sessions on our various programs, and teachers will be in their classrooms throughout the evening to share all about our core and elective courses for 9th graders. The goal is for students and parents to leave this event excited about all the opportunities students will have as an Annandale Atom and prepared to complete the course request form when students meet with their middle school counselors! 

Breakout Sessions on the following topics will be offered throughout the evening: Welcome to Annandale, Course Request 101; IB/MYP Program; Activities and Athletics; English for Speakers of Other Languages Program; Special Education Office, and Student Life.

Awesome Atoms

Deck the Doors Competition Winners: Congratulations to the winners of our annual Deck the Doors Competition sponsored by our Student Leadership Class. ​Ms. Dickinson’s class won Best Overall with the Nutcracker parade. Runners up were Ms. Mahoney’s class with the sugar plum ferry. Finally, Ms. Bustamante’s class earned Most Creative with Charlie Brown. All participants brought spirit and creativity to the hallways of the school. Thank you to all the W4 classes who participated. We have loved seeing the students work together in this creative pursuit to get us in the holiday spirit. There were some amazing entries.

#Winning4giving Competition Winners: A huge thank you to Mr. Henceroth’s marketing students for leading a school-wide food drive to benefit the AHS PTSA Pantry. Shoutout to all students who brought items into their W4 class and thank you to W4 teachers who entered the donations into the form. Congratulations to the winning W4 classes who collected the most items. They will be recognized with a donut breakfast when we return from break. The winners are Ms. Kline’s class who collected 62 items, Mr. Maglisceau’s class who collected 83, Ms. Hernandez’s class who collected 98 items, Mr. Henceroth’s class with 117 items, and Ms. Bustamante’s class with 129 items!

Annandale Basketball and NHS Kickoff “Readers are Leaders” Program: Shoutout to the Annandale Boys and Girls Basketball team along with members of our National Honor Society (NHS) for "Kicking Off" the 5th year of the “Readers Are Leaders” program. Annandale students devote weekly after-school sessions to read with 2nd graders from Braddock Elementary, fostering a strong connection. This impactful initiative reflects the commitment of our Atoms to being exemplary community members.

Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway - Annandale Parent Liaisons, Gisela Sanchez and Rosario Carrasco, led our yearly tradition of providing toys, gifts, food, and coats to over 100 Annandale students and families. Special thanks to the PTSA and Annandale staff for donating items for this event.

Fifty-Two Students Earn IB Middle Years Programme Certificate: Congratulations to the more than 52 students who have earned the FCPS International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Certificate! Their commitment to the IB tenets of global-mindedness, critical thinking, service, and reflection represents the very best of who we send out into the world beyond Annandale High School. 

Important Information

Work with Live Tutors for Free over Winter Break! Does your student need help getting up to speed in math, science, or English? Tutor.com offers diagnostic quizzes to help students test their knowledge and find areas where they may need help. Quizzes can be taken anytime, and students can connect immediately to a tutor. Find out more here.

Assignments Over Winter Break: We hope you are able to spend the holiday 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 clarification and information.

Winter Break Office Hours: The Annandale administrative offices will be open by appointment only from Monday, December 18 through Monday, January 1. Offices will re-open on Monday, January 2 at 7:00am.

SIS Unavailable Next Week: SIS, ParentVUE, and StudentVUE will be unavailable from Friday, December 15 at 5:00pm thru Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 6:00am. In addition, weekly Grade Book progress reports will not be emailed to parents/guardians during the winter break. We will resume emailing them on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Preparing for Winter Weather: Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made. FCPS’ website is generally the first place where we will post an emergency weather closing. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. Be sure to plan for the winter season. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and plan for childcare if appropriate.

For the 2023-24 school year, FCPS will be reverting to its former policy for snow days - there will be no virtual learning days when school is closed due to inclement weather this year. With 11 snow days built into our existing calendar, eliminating virtual learning days will enable us to maximize our in-person learning and provide for equitable access to instruction and student services for each and every one of our students.

Promoting Mental Wellness During Winter Break: Although mental health indicators have improved over the past year, Fairfax County Youth Survey (FCYS) data suggest that more than 25% of students in 8th to 12th grade feel sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more in a row. The holidays can be a time to reduce stress, but they can also contribute to it. Here are some tips for making winter break a positive time for the young people in your life.

In addition, Fairfax County Public Schools has compiled a list of resources for students and families in case they need assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit our winter resources webpage for links to academic support; mental health support; and food, clothing, housing, and other county resources. 

Opportunities

December 18-20 - Winter Olympics Camp for Students Grades 2-8 : 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. Register at https://bit.ly/Olympics23Poe.

News from Student Services

Course Selection Information: At Annandale, we want to ensure students and families know where to access all the information needed for course selection. Our Academic Advising page has the grade level information presented by counselors and the course selection Google forms that students must complete. We encourage you to visit this site with your student to discuss courses for next year. Here are some questions you can use to engage with your student about course selection:

• Which classes most excite you about next year?
• When looking at your classes, what are your electives and why did you select those?
• What type of diploma are you going for?
• Where would you like to be challenged?
• Where do you think you might need support?

Please reach out to our counselors if any questions or concerns arise. Their emails and phone numbers can be found on our Student Services page. We are here to help and look forward to supporting our students through this process!

Navigating College Financial Aid: FCPS will be offering workshops throughout January when you can bring in your 2022 taxes and complete the FAFSA financial aid application or VASA financial aid application for undocumented students.

• Jan 9, 6-8:30pm @ Annandale High School
• Jan 20, 10-12am @ Justice High School
• Jan 30, 7-9pm @ Falls Church High School

Students may also sign up to meet with Ms. Mayhieu, our financial aid champion, on Fridays during lunch. Students can ask their counselor or Mr. Yeagley to sign them up for the appropriate lunch block. Ms. Mayhieu can help students with both account creation and completing the FAFSA when it becomes available in January. 

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 January 10, the Transcript Request Form is due on December 10. 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!

2024 FCPS Gap Year Fair: FCPS’ School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are co-hosting the annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at George C. Marshall High School from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. This event is for high school students and parents who are interested in learning more about the growing array of gap year opportunities. The evening will begin with a presentation in the auditorium from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Immediately following, the program fair will be held in the cafeteria from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., with representatives from over 30 programs offering gap year opportunities. Students and their families are encouraged to meet the representatives and learn about the variety of experiences available.

Students are encouraged to pre-register for this event. Registration is open to students and families up to and including the day of the fair. For more information, visit: USA Gap Year Fairs.

**In the event of inclement weather on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. The Gap Year Fair will be held on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the same time and location.

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, AHS Athletics Twitter or Instagram page. Please email Brandon Sutphin if you have any questions.

Recognize Your Athlete in the Winter Program: Parents, interested in recognizing your student-athlete for the upcoming Winter Season?! Then purchase one of our three program options for your student-athlete. You can purchase a full, half, or quarter page ad that will be displayed in all winter sports programs! If interested, please contact Brandon Sutphin. Pricing is as follow: Full Page - $75; Half Page - $45; Quarter Page - $25

Baseball Winter Skills Camp - Sundays in January & February: Annandale Baseball is hosting their Sunday Skills camps starting in January. Each camp will be held in the main and auxiliary gyms at Annandale High School. Information and sign up for the Sunday Baseball Camps here. Cost is $115 for all, or $25 each.

This Week:

Wednesday, December 20

Varsity Boys Basketball @ Myrtle Beach Holiday Tournament

Thursday, December 21

Varsity Boys Basketball @ Myrtle Beach Holiday Tournament

Thursday, December 22

Varsity Boys Basketball @ Myrtle Beach Holiday Tournament

Next Week:

Wednesday, December 27

Raegan Sharnae Way Atoms Holiday Tournament

Yorktown vs Gar-Field - Game 1 - 11:00am

Annandale vs Osbourn - Game 2 -1:00pm

Thursday, December 28

Raegan Sharnae Way Atoms Holiday Tournament

G1 Loser vs G2 Loser - 11:00am

G1 Winner vs G2 Winner - 1:00pm

Friday, December 29

Varsity Wrestling @ Woodbridge

Saturday, December 30

Varsity Wrestling @ Woodbridge