Annandale Community Insider - January 15

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

It has been a very upsetting last several days following the recent incident at our school. During difficult times like these, the support of Atom Nation is essential. As a school community, we are here to foster the social/emotional well-being of each student and staff member. We will start by making sure each person receives the support they need. Counselors and clinical staff are available to assist those who need help processing the news.

As we prepare for the week ahead, the Community Insider includes important information for your reference. 

Keep in mind that they are calling for inclement weather later today through tomorrow. In the event of a school delay or cancellation there will be no virtual learning. Please check the FCPS website, local news, email, or social media for information about emergency weather closings. In case of a delayed opening, the two-hour delay bell schedule can be found on the Annandale website.

As always, please reach out with questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend is a great opportunity for students to connect with impactful service opportunities while also teaching students about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Volunteer Fairfax is proud to present the 2024 MLK, Jr. Weekend of Service and are very excited to host two popular community events, Give Together, our volunteering event for families with kids ages 5-12, and the Valentine’s Challenge – both taking place on tomorrow, January 16.

School-Family Partnership

Last week, families received a personalized student progress report email which includes students’ grades as well as any academic interventions or supports the student is receiving.

Research shows that the single most impactful thing parents can do to support their student’s education is to talk with them about school. We encourage you to talk with your student about their classes and how they are taking advantage of PRIDE Time. Here is a question to help get the conversation started...

"There are two weeks left in the quarter, what do you need to prioritize this week to be sure you finish the semester strong?"

Thank you for everything you do to support us - we truly work together to support our students’ needs!

Personalized Student Progress Reports: Last week, families received a personalized student progress report email which includes students’ grades as well as any academic interventions or supports the student is receiving. In that email, we provided ways families can support their student, including sitting with them to check on and discuss their progress, as well as some guiding questions to talk about school.

Important Dates

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 24 - W4 Check-ins Begin

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

January 26 - Student Holiday

January 31 - WiDA Testing Begins

January 31 - Guitar Concert, 7pm

February 17 - President's Day (No School)

February 19 - Spring Sports Begin

February 24 - PTSA MONOPOLY® Tournament

January 16 - Virginia Climate and Working Conditions Survey: On Tuesday, 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). 

January 16 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, January 16 at 7:00pm 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.

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.

January 22 - W4 Activities Day: January 22 is our next W4 Activities Day, a time set aside for students to explore clubs and activities and connect with classmates and staff over shared interests. The schedule for the period will remain unchanged. Students were given access to the preview slideshow and registration form through their W4 and Schoology last week and will be emailed to each student’s fcps account today. The final date for registration will be this Tuesday. If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Harris.

January 24 - W4 Check-ins Begin: The social and emotional wellness of our students continue to be a priority at Annandale. Once again this semester, teachers will be conducting one-on-one check-ins with students in their advisory (W4) class beginning later this week. These conversations are another opportunity to build a caring and trusting environment for all students, cultivate positive relationships, and identify student needs. The W4 lesson on January 18 will ask students to reflect in order to prepare for their check-in.

January 31 - WiDA Testing Begins: WiDA testing will begin on Wednesday, January 31st with more than 720 students at Annandale scheduled to complete the four-part WiDA annual assessment. Federal law (ESSA) requires that all Level 1-5 English Learners (ELs) participate annually in an English language proficiency assessment. 

WiDA ACCESS for ELs consists of the following parts (domains): Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Each domain is a separate test and students must complete all 4 domains to meet the testing requirement. This assessment is used to determine a student’s English language proficiency level, eligibility for ESOL services and testing accommodations. It also provides teachers with information they can use to plan for and support their students’ learning. Participation in this assessment is a critical part of how we measure our students growth and progress as well as plan for their continued success. Additional details will be provided prior to the start of testing.

January 31 - Guitar Concert, 7pm: The Annandale Guitar Ensemble will present a concert featuring music spanning 500 years from Russian Folk songs to Disney favorites. All are encouraged to come support our guitar students and hear some great music on January 31, doors open at 7pm in the auditorium. Admission is free.

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 3:00-4:00pm. Tutors will be available to help in math, science and social studies. Contact Ms. Michelle Lukacs, AVID and History teacher, 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. Stephanie 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.

Awesome Atoms

Annual Electives Fair Offers Glimpse of AHS Course Offerings: Last week, during W4, students had the opportunity to visit three electives of their choice and view brief presentations or demonstrations on the components of the course. The event allows students to get a feel for what each course is like. In the coming weeks, students will be working one-on-one with their counselors to select their courses for next year.

January is Mentoring Month! At Annandale, our mentoring program focuses on pairing staff and students with like interests to build and cultivate life-long relationships. We want to shout out Ms. Ekanem and her mentee, Olenko. Ms. Ekanem has built an amazing bond with Olenko and his family attended the George Mason Men’s Basketball Game with her. Thank you to Ms. Ekanem and all of the Mentors here at Annandale High School for taking the time to cultivate strong relationships with our students!

Annandale Hosts In Plain Sight: Annandale high school hosted Hidden in Plain Sight - an interactive program for adults to be educated about the signs of risky behavior in teens and young adults. The program, offered through the Fairfax County Police Department, provides parents with an interactive, hands-on, display of items teens are using to hide illegal drug and alcohol use and other risky behavior.

Annandale Musicians Participate in District Honor Orchestra: This weekend, 12 Annandale students participated in District Honor Orchestra at Hayfield Secondary School. Congratulations to Christina Abouzeki, Marc Akl, Abem Alemu, Ollie Allen, Melanie Lam, Erica Lee, Ryan Phan, Andrea Rivera Perez, Jazlyn Tang, Lyana Vo, Calleigh Widjaja, and Leyla Yilma for their hard work and incredible performance!

Important Information

Now thru February 13 - Academic Advising: Our counselors began meeting one-on-one with students through their English classes. We began with our rising seniors and then will work through the other grade levels over the next several weeks. Students will be sent an email with their appointment time the weekend before they are scheduled to meet with their counselor. As always, students and families can get more information about course selection on our Academic Advising website. Below is the academic advising timeline:

• January 9-19: Juniors meet with Counselors
• January 11-January 25: Sophomores meet with Counselors
• January 29-February 13: Freshmen meet with Counselors
• February 23: Final deadline to change course requests

Safe Students, Safe Schools: Fairfax County Public Schools believes that academic success is built on the foundation of a safe learning environment. This includes physical safety, and mental health and wellness. FCPS has a comprehensive approach to safety that involves physical security measures, online monitoring by security staff, and crisis intervention support. The division has created the Safe Students, Safe Schools Brochure (PDF) to enhance your awareness of potential hazards and to equip you with practical tips for how you can help. Visit the FCPS website for more information.

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

January 22-23 - Audition for the Spring Musical Disney’s High School Musical: On Stage! Auditions will be held January 22 & 23 starting at 3:15pm, followed by a dance call starting at 5:35pm. Students will need to have a monologue and song prepared. Link to sign up to auditions here. Students will also need an audition packet which they can pick up in Room 324 or view here. If interested in learning more, reach out to Ms. Kylie Murray and Ms. Adriana Bustamante. 

January 24 - Girls & Boys State Interest Meeting: There will be an interest meeting for Girls and Boys State on Wednesday, January 24 during all lunches in the College and Career Center. Virginia Girls and Boys State are week-long summer residency programs that focus on governmental affairs held at a university. Applicants must be current juniors and will be evaluated on their leadership abilities, interest in government, service to others, and academics.

Boys State is held at Radford University from June 16-22, 2024. Girls State will be held at Longwood University from June 16-22, 2024. More information is available on the Boys State and Girls State websites. Please note that the Girls State application is due on January 31, 2024!

January 30 - 2024 FCPS Gap Year Fair, 6pm: 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. The Gap Year Fair will be held on Thursday, February 1, at the same time and location.

February 24 - Annual MONOPOLY® Tournament: Join us for the 2024 MONOPOLY® Tournament sponsored by the Annandale HS PTSA on February 24, 2024 in Clausen Hall. This is an official tournament so registration is required for players and spectators. Grand Prize is $300 and a MONOPOLY® Game. Sign up now!

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.

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.

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!

FAFSA Info for Class of 2024: The Federal Student Aid FAFSA form is now available (soft launch is working out glitches, so be patient with the website). The application is free and is the largest source of aid to help pay for college or career/trade school. Even if you don't think your family would qualify for financial assistance, you would still want to complete the application because some states and colleges use information from the FAFSA form to determine student eligibility for their grants, scholarships, and loans. If you need assistance, please contact Mr. Yeagley in our College and Career Center or your student’s counselor.

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.

Recap from the week in winter sports: Week 2 of the New Year saw our first postponement of games but the Atoms kept their cool and were prepared for the movement of games. Despite the missed day of events, there was still plenty of exciting action by the Atoms this week. It's hard to believe that the winter season is starting to wind down as several programs have their National District Championship Meets before the end of February. Make sure to not miss out on the action by getting your booster pass and supporting the Atoms!

This Week:

Tuesday, January 16

Girls Basketball vs Mt. Vernon - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Boys Basketball @ Mt. Vernon - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Wednesday, January 17

Wrestling @ TJ - 6:00pm

Gymnastics @ South County - 6:00pm

Thursday, January 18

F Girls/F Boys/JV Boys Basketball vs Falls Church - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

JV Girls/V Girls/V Boys Basketball @ Falls Church - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Saturday, January 20

Swim/Dive vs Falls Church @ Spring Hill Rec Center - 6:30pm (SENIOR NIGHT)

Wrestling @ Freedom South Riding - 9:00am