Annandale Students, Families, and Community:
I hope you have enjoyed the snowy days and are staying warm! With the cancellation of my kids’ basketball games on Saturday, my son, Jack, and I attended the George Mason basketball game and cheered on the Patriots and Assistant Coach Mike Ekanem, husband of Annandale Health and PE teacher, Hanna Ekanem.
Last Wednesday, we hosted our Rising 9th Grade Open House. It is one of my favorite nights of the year as we get a chance to meet our new students and families. This night also gives us an opportunity to show off our amazing staff and the many ways that we support our students not only academically, but in their social-emotional development as well. As I mentioned at the event, I have recently gone through this transition as a parent for the first time, so I recognize how daunting it may be for our new families. I have included links to all the presentations below.
I will also be hosting a Virtual Principal Check In for all families on Thursday, February 1, where I will share information about Atom Nation and answer any questions. A link will be sent via email prior to the event.
After missing several days due to snow and the holiday, we are returning to a busy, short week. Tomorrow, students will participate in our January W4 Activities Day, a time set aside for students to explore clubs and activities and connect with classmates and staff over shared interests. In addition to our normal activity sessions, our seniors will be attending Love Like Adam, a presentation that shares information on the impacts of hazing, bystander intervention, and alcohol intoxication.
Finally, 2nd quarter ends this Thursday, January 25, which is also a two-hour early release. I encourage you to talk with your student about their grades and any assignments or summatives they may need to turn in or retake. Our teachers are available for any questions you may have. As a reminder, Friday, January 26, is a student holiday and teacher workday.
Have a great week, Atom Nation. As always, reach out with any questions.
Shawn DeRose, Principal
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School-Family Partnership
Families recently 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...
Which teachers should you stay after school with this week to make sure you are caught up for the end of the quarter?
Thank you for everything you do to support us and your student - we truly work together to support our students’ needs!
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Important Dates
January 22 - W4 Activities Day
January 25 - 2 Hour Early Release (End of the 2nd Quarter)
January 26 - Teacher Workday (No School)
January 29 - W4 Check-ins Begin
January 29 - February 2 - Winter Spirit Week
January 31 - WiDA Testing Begins
January 31 - Guitar Concert, 7pm
February 2 - Winter Pep Rally
February 17 - President's Day (No School)
February 19 - Spring Sports Begin
February 24 - PTSA MONOPOLY® Tournament
March 5 - School Planning Day (No School)
January 22 - W4 Activities Day: Tomorrow, 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 and assignments were emailed to each student’s FCPS account last week. If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Harris.
January 25 - 2 Hour Early Release: Thursday, January 25 is the last day of the quarter and a two-hour early release for students.
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January 26 - Student Holiday: Schools are closed for students on Friday, January 26, for a teacher workday. See the complete 2023-24 school year calendar.
January 29 - 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 Tuesday, January 24 will ask students to reflect in order to prepare for their check-in.
January 29 - February 2 - Winter Spirit Week: Show your AtomPride, get creative, and have fun dressing up with the following daily themes. Annandale Leadership students will be taking photos of participants to be featured on their Instagram!
Monday - College/ University Day: Stressed about high school? Don’t worry, it gets better! Relieve your mind and think about the happiness you will have in the future! Wear the merch of the college/university (or any representation of your postsecondary plans) and show your pride for it!
Tuesday - Crocs/ Slippers: Get comfy this Tuesday by wearing your favorite pair of crocs or slippers. We know how hard you’ve been working, so take a load off of your feet! Regular crocs, furry crocs, crazy jibbitz, silly slippers, we want to see it all!
Wednesday - Onesie Day: Are you feeling under the weather? Do you need something to cheer up your mood and school spirit? Wear your cozy onesie to school to help you de-stress from the cold and school load!
Thursday - Music Tees: Love listening to music? Do you have a favorite band that makes you feel less stressed? For Music Tees, dress in your favorite band’s, artist’s, or musical group’s attire! By doing so, you are not just expressing what makes you happy, but doing it comfortably!
Friday - Class Colors: Want to support your class by wearing your grade colors? Here are your designated grade colors; Freshmen - White, Sophomores - Purple, Juniors - Red, Seniors - Pink.
January 31 - WiDA Testing Begins: WiDA testing will begin on Wednesday, January 31 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.
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.
February 2 - Winter Pep Rally: Get ready to rumble for our annual 2024 Winter Pep Rally on February 2nd! From whipped cream pies to our sports walk, we have a ton of fun activities prepared. Don’t forget to show your Atom Pride by wearing your class colors the day of the Pep Rally: Freshmen - White, Sophomores - Purple, Juniors - Red, Seniors - Pink.
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.
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Awesome Atoms
Annandale Teachers Earn National Board Certification: Congratulations to Spanish Teacher, Lauren Paz Soldan and Social Studies Teacher, Paul Mock for being among the 14 FCPS teachers to earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students and schools. It was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.
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Annandale Community Mentor Highlight: At Annandale, we not only have amazing staff mentors but mentors from our community as well. Meet Connie Hunter! Connie has built a trusting relationship with one of our atoms, Fatmata. They started out meeting virtually and now meet regularly in-person and have built a strong connection. Connie shared that “it’s been great to have a new friend and I’m looking forward to our continued journey together.” Thank you for being a mentor to our students!
Annandale Students Visit Future Atoms at Weyanoke ES: This week, AHS students visited Weyanoke Elementary to talk with students and motivate them to do well on the WIDA test. The goal was to let students know that the test matters, and by doing well now and taking it seriously, it will open options and opportunities for other classes when they get to middle and high school. The pyramid connection between the students was strong and the students plan to see each other at the feeder school basketball game on February 2! At the end of the day, the elementary students asked the high school students for autographs, and hugs. Thank you to AHS teachers Sandra Benitez (AHS alumn) and Tricia Kapuscinski, as well as Rachel Wright, WES ESOL teacher for making this visit possible!
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Important Information
Rising 9th Grade Open House Presentations: It was great seeing many of you at Annandale High School's Rising 9th Grade Open House this week.
If you were unable to attend, we have links to all the presentations from the event available for you view below. If you have any questions about the information provided, please feel free to contact our presenters directly.
Welcome to Annandale! - Presenter: Shawn DeRose
Course Requests 101 - Presenter: Eric Healey
IB/MYP Program - Presenters: Jeniva Miller, Linda Bradshaw
Activities and Athletics - Presenters: Brandon Sutphin
Special Education Office - Presenters: Donna Higgins, Kristin Lillis
English for Speakers of Other Languages Program - Presenters: Sarah Eqab, Meredith Hedrick
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.
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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 3 - Edison Academy Open House - Edison Academy invites you to attend their in-person Open House event on Saturday, February 3, 2023 from 10:00am-1:00pm (snow date is Saturday, February 10). We are located at 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA. Our entrance is located at Door #13. You will have the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art facilities, meet our instructors and current students, and learn more about our incredible courses! Please feel free to contact Cassandra Deedy at (703) 924-8101 for additional information.
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. 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.
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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!
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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: As we hit the final three weeks of the winter season, we would like to thank you for your continued support! Our crowds are getting bigger with each game and the excitement around our sports teams are buzzing throughout the community. We have a lot more action over the final few weeks and we hope that you continue to come out and show your support for our Atoms' athletes and coaches who are working hard to make the Annandale community proud! Make sure to not miss out on the action by getting your booster pass and supporting the Atoms!
This Week:
Monday, January 22
Boys Basketball vs Hayfield - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm
Girls Basketball @ Hayfield - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm
Tuesday, January 23
F Girls/JV Girls/JV Boys Basketball vs Mt. Vernon - 4:30/5:45/7:15pm
Varsity Girls Basketball vs Herndon - 7:00pm
Wednesday, January 24
JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Mt. Vernon - 6:00pm
Gymnastics @ Lake Braddock - 6:00pm (SENIOR NIGHT)
Thursday, January 25
Girls Basketball vs Justice - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm
Boys Basketball @ Justice - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm
Friday, January 26
Pack the Pit: Varsity Wrestling vs West Potomac - 6:00pm
National District Swim & Dive Championship @ Audrey Moore Rec Center
Dive Championship - Girls: 8:30am; Boys: 11:30am
Swim Prelims - 5:30pm
Saturday, January 27
National District Swim & Dive Championship @ Audrey Moore Rec Center
Swim Finals - 5:30pm
JV Wrestling @ Westfield - 9:00am
Indoor Track @ TJMS - 8:00am
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