Annandale Community Insider - December 31

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

In a time when negativity dominates our newsfeeds, it can be easy to look toward the future with hopelessness. However, as I reflect on my experience these past four years at Annandale High School, I can only think of how the hallways of Atom Nation offer a powerful counterpoint.

Our students come from 66 different countries and speak 59 different languages. Eighty-one percent of our students speak a language other than English at home. However, our diversity isn't just numbers; it's a vibrant mix of cultures, languages, and perspectives. Walking our campus is like taking an international journey, encountering students from every corner of the globe. 

Students celebrate each other's traditions, share their family stories, and break down cultural barriers. In classrooms, discussions are passionate but friendly, fueled by diverse backgrounds and experiences. Simply said, Atom Nation finds strength in diversity. 

This, I believe, is true hope. Seeing young minds navigate differences with empathy and acceptance, and using their unique backgrounds to build bridges, fills me with optimism for the future. Annandale reminds us that the diversity that can sometimes lead to conflict, can also be the foundation for understanding, tolerance, and progress.

With optimism and hope, I wish all of Atom Nation a Happy New Year!

Shawn DeRose, Principal

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

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 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting, 6:00pm

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 10 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving, 6:30pm

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

January 16 - Virginia Climate and Working Conditions Survey

January 16 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

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

January 22 - W4 Activities Day

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

January 26 - Student Holiday

January 3 - Course & Electives Fair: This year the Course and Electives Fair will be during PRIDE Time on January 3. Students will visit information sessions on three courses of their choosing. 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

The A-Blast Earns National Recognition: Congrats to Annandale's school newspaper, "The A-Blast," for placing 8th in the Newspaper Broadsheet category at the National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association Convention in Boston, held November 2-4. The A-Blast team, led by advisor Alan Weintraut, received recognition for their work in reporting, writing, and design.

Young Scholars/AVID Leadership Conference: Annandale High School AVID students recently spoke at a panel discussion at the Young Scholars/AVID Leadership Conference at Poe MS on December 9. Alejandro Pena, Rosa Ramos-Sanchez, Marina Bonilla-Gomez, Annhi Huynh, Saul Zalles Villatoro and Giancarlos Parada Rivas shared their experiences about how to get involved in high school with the middle school students at the conference. Congrats to these students and thank you for your leadership.

Saul Soriano Named Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) Finalist: Annandale Senior, Saul Soriano, was recently selected as a finalist for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX). The winner will receive a full scholarship to spend a year studying in Germany. CBYX is a highly competitive application process. Students are selected based on academic merit, strong communication skills, and the ability to represent the U.S. with distinction. This January, Saul travels to Atlanta, GA, for the final interview. Good Luck Saul!

AHS Celebrates December Students of the Month: Congratulations to Bram Johnson, Minh Pham, Msgana Shibeshi, Micheal Worzie, Eddy Zelada Chungara, Alvaro Arce Arias, Gregory Bridges, Julia Goforth, Rafaella Herrera, and Wania Islam for being selected as our December Students of the Month. Each month we ask a different department to recognize students who exemplify our Atoms Agreements of Empathy, Determination, and Safety. December was designated for nominees from the Science department and focused on Safety. Congratulations to all for being selected as our Student of the Month winners!

Annandale Hosts Winter Olympics Camp for Elementary and Middle School Students: Annandale High School hosted a 3-day Winter Olympics Camp at Poe Middle School at the beginning of Winter Break. Special thanks to Chris Bagot and Robert Stevens for leading this fun camp. Check out the fun photos below.

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. Use this link to sign up for a writing conference during 2nd 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.

Work with Live Tutors for Free! 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.

Important Information

January 16 - Virginia Climate and Working Conditions Survey: On January 16, during W4, students will participate in the Virginia School Climate Survey. The purpose of the survey is to provide schools with information on school climate, safety, and working conditions in order to maintain a safe and orderly school environment conducive to learning. The survey measures student perceptions of school rules and discipline, teacher-student relationships, student engagement in school, and the extent of bullying and teasing at school. The survey is a component of the annual school safety audit which school divisions are required to submit to the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS). If you do not wish for your child to participate, please notify the school office by telephone, email or letter by January 12, 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.

Opportunities

Annandale Baseball Host Weekly Winter Clinics: Annandale Baseball is hosting their Sunday Skills camps starting on January 14. Each week, the camp focuses on fundamentals and is instructed by the coaching staff and players. The 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.

High School Academy Open Houses: FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January. A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses that can prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in Academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, and/or internships with local businesses. Click here to learn more and find the calendar of Academy Open Houses.

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. 

NOVA Early Online College – Spring 2024 Semester: NOVA Early Online College (EOC) allows current high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take up to 2 tuition free college courses. EOC courses for the Spring semester begin on January 30 and end on April 22. The deadline to register is January 8, 2024 at 5pm. Courses are asynchronous, online, and for college credit only. 13 different courses are offered along with courses that fulfill the IT Technical Support Career Studies Certificate. EOC courses are selected because they meet the requirements for most of NOVA’s associate degrees as well as being highly transferable as general education requirements for most colleges and universities.

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 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!

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!

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.

January 8 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting: Join us on Monday, January 8 in-person at Annandale High School in the Driver’s Education Room or online at meet.google.com/zoo-iypf-kpq. The meeting will begin at 6:00pm. All members of the Atoms Booster Club are invited to attend to hear the latest updates on our Winter sports activities and support plans.

This Week:

Wednesday, January 3

Boys Basketball vs Justice - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Girls Basketball @ Justice - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Varsity Wrestling @ Falls Church - 6:00pm

Thursday, January 4

JV Wrestling @ TJ - 6:00pm

Friday, January 5

Boys Basketball vs Lewis - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm (SENIOR NIGHT)

Girls Basketball @ Lewis - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Swim/Dive vs Edison @ Audrey Moore - 6:00pm

Saturday, January 6

Wrestling @ Broad Run - 10:00am