Annandale Community Insider - February 11

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

I am thrilled to share that the Annandale Community Insider, our weekly newsletter to the students, parents and community members, recently won “Best High School Newsletter” at the 2024 FCPS School Communicators Conference. It was four years ago this month that we sent our first Community Insider. Our goal then and now is not only to provide you with the information needed for the upcoming week and beyond, but also to build culture, reinforce our vision, share celebrations, and establish a sense of community. Special thanks to Jen Cory and Jeniva Miller, who help collect, organize and edit our weekly newsletter!

On another note, we recognized our amazing school counselors this past week during Counselor Appreciation Week. Each day counselors were celebrated with cards made by their students, breakfast or lunch, and small gifts. On Thursday, we held our very first counselor parade! Led by members of the marching band, our Student Services team walked the building as students lined the hallways with signs and cheers of appreciation. Check out the video on our Instagram page.

Finally, tomorrow we will host W4 Activities Day. This day is a time set aside each month for students to explore clubs and activities and connect with classmates and staff over shared interests. We are excited to offer this experience for our students and continue to find ways we help our students feel connected to school.

Have a great week, Atom Nation! As always, reach out with any questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Annandale Celebrates Black History Month

February is Black History Month. This year’s theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” explores the key influence African Americans have had in the fields of “visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.” Throughout the month, we will celebrate and honor the experiences, achievements, and contributions made by African Americans and their central role in US History.

Students deserve meaningful, sustained opportunities to learn about the experiences and contributions of Black and African American people year-round, and Black History Month is one opportunity to honor these diverse and important stories. Guided by resources curated by the FCPS Social Studies Office, teachers are providing students opportunities to reflect on and celebrate the role of African Americans in US History.

At Annandale, our African American History students have created school-wide lessons that will be shared during W4. These lessons are a wonderful opportunity for all of us to learn from and with each other. In addition, students in US/Va History classes are completing a month-long project studying the African American experience during the Reconstruction era and analyzing the ways in which African Americans exercised their freedom and fought against unjust policies & actions.

Important Dates

Now through February 16 - W4 Check-ins

February 11 - AHS Hosts Special Olympics Basketball

February 12 - W4 Activities Day

February 14 - Singing Valentines

February 14 - PTSA Pantry Distribution

February 19 - President’s Day (No School)

February 19 - Spring Sports Begin

February 20 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

February 24 - PTSA MONOPOLY® Tournament

March 5 - School Planning Day (No School)

March 8 - Just World Festival & Heritage Night

Now through February 16 - W4 Check-ins: The social and emotional wellness of our students continue to be a priority at Annandale. Once again this semester, teachers have been conducting one-on-one check-ins with students in their advisory (W4) class. These conversations are another opportunity to build a caring and trusting environment for all students, cultivate positive relationships, and identify student needs.

February 12 - W4 Activities Day: Our next W4 Activities Day is on Monday, February 12. W4 Activities Day is a time set aside for students to explore clubs and activities and connect with classmates and staff over shared interests. If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Harris.

February 13 - Singing Valentines: On Tuesday, February 13, the Annandale Singers will deliver “Singing Valentines” throughout the day. Students were able to purchase songs last week during all lunches.

February 19 - Presidents Day (No School): As a reminder, all schools and offices will be closed on Monday, February 19, for the Presidents Day holiday. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 20. See the complete 2023-24 School Year Calendar.

February 19 - Spring Sports Tryouts Begin: Spring sports tryouts will begin Monday, February 19. Spring sports include lacrosse, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, and outdoor track. Tryout information is posted in the “News from the Student Activities Office” section below.

February 20 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, January 20 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.

March 8 - Just World Festival & Heritage Night: Annandale High School leadership students are excited to join the Just World Interact Club for the 18th annual Just World Festival and Heritage Night on March 8.

The theme for this year’s Just World festival is "Solidarity in Community." The festival aims to inspire youth that they are not only a part of their local community but a global one as well. We want to educate the community about global and environmental issues, fair trade, human rights, equality, and most importantly, social action.

The Heritage Night performance will take place at 7:00pm and is another opportunity for Annandale students to showcase their culture through music, dance, fashion, and more. Tickets go on sale February 13. Cost is $8. NO tickets will be available for purchase at the door! This event has been incredibly popular in the past, so we highly recommend purchasing your tickets now to ensure a spot at this incredible performance!

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...

“Monday is W4 Activities Day. Which activity did you sign up for?"

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

Academic Support

Sign up for a writing conference with the AWC: 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. 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. Contact Mrs. Crowley with any questions.

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.

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

Husna Basiri is an NHS Scholarship Award Winner! Congratulations to senior, Husna Basiri for being selected as an NHS Scholarship Recipient. NHS Scholars are chosen based on their demonstrated work to support the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character and presented with an award to support college access and student success. National Honor Society members make a difference in their schools and communities, and the NHS Scholarship is NASSP’s way of recognizing the most exceptional of these student leaders. The scholarship program is supported by the parent organization of the NHS, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Annandale Community Insider Wins “Best High School Newsletter”! The Annandale Community Insider, our weekly newsletter to the students, parents and community members, recently won “Best High School Newsletter” at the 2024 FCPS School Communicators Conference. It was four years ago this month that we sent our first Community Insider. Our goal then and now is not only to provide you the information needed for the upcoming week and beyond, but also build culture, reinforce our vision, share celebrations, and establish a sense of community. Special thanks to Jen Cory and Jeniva Miller, who help collect, organize and edit our weekly newsletter!

Three Annandale Students Named All District Band - Congratulations to Shane Gomez, Tyler Perez and Brian Bernard for being named All-District Band by the Virginia Band & Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA). 2024 All-Virginia Band and Orchestra Auditions will be February 24 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.

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.

Opportunities

Now Open! Summer Camps Pre-Registration: Annandale Summer Camps are now accepting pre-registration. Summer Youth Sports Camps are held at Annandale High School and run 8:30am-3pm. The cost is $120. Sign up before March 1 and receive the $100 early bird rate. Multi Sport Camp: June 17,18, 20,21 (No camp on June 19), Olympics Camp: June 24-27 (No camp Friday). Pre-Register Here!

February 17 - Career Exploration Events for Students: In February, school divisions across the region will team up with Virginia Ed Strategies to host the annual Instruction 2 Industry Career Expo. This Northern Virginia regional event invites high school students to connect virtually and in person, with more than 60 local industry professionals from in-demand career fields. Virtual sessions will be held Monday, February 5, through Thursday, February 8, 4-7 p.m., and the in-person Career Expo and Job Fair will be held Saturday, February 17, 1-4 p.m., in the North Hall of the Dulles Expo Center. Register here!.

February 17 - Family Bootcamp, 9am: Annandale Football’s strength and conditioning coach, Matthew Stevens is going to put on a 1 hour workout for the whole family. The bootcamp will be held in the Upstairs Gym. Recommended ages 6-14. Support the Atoms and take a step toward your fitness goals. $20 suggested donation. All proceeds go towards Annandale Football. Sign up here!

February 18 - Annandale Baseball Winter Clinic: Annandale Baseball is hosting their final Sunday Skills camps. 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 Camp here. Cost is $25.

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 through March 4. 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.

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 Admission & Financial Aid

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 March 10, the Transcript Request Form is due on February 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.

Booster Membership Fee Reduced! The cost of Booster Memberships is now 50% less! The new low price will be Adults $30 and Students $15 (including Elementary, Middle, and High School Students). The Booster pass allows Free Admission to all regular season Freshman, JV, and Varsity games. This price drop will include the last 3 games of the basketball season and include ALL Spring season sports: Baseball, Soccer, and Lacrosse. Check Atoms Athletics schedules and buy your Booster Pass here.

Recap from the week in winter sports: Girls Basketball completed their regular season with their final two district games. The Atoms traveled to Edison to face the top seeded Eagles. The Atoms played hard throughout but were no match as the Eagles pulled away to secure the number one seed for the district tournament. Game two of the week saw an exciting game vs Mount Vernon. The Atoms held a 10 point lead in the second half but a few momentum runs by the majors saw a tie ball game with under three minutes to go. The Majors ultimately pulled away in those final three minutes but not without sweating it out as the Atoms took it down to the buzzer. The Atoms will hit the road to Hayfield for the first round of the district tournament Monday evening at 5:30pm.

Boys Basketball held their final two National District games this week. The Atoms started the week off with an impressive win over the number 2 seed Edison Eagles. The Atoms were in a back and forth affair throughout the first half, trailing by 2 at the half before catching fire and running away from the Eagles in the second half. The final home game of the season saw the Atoms host Mount Vernon. It was a tight game throughout with the Majors pulling away in the last two minutes to secure the 4 seed in the district tournament. The Atoms will go in as the five seed and travel to Mount Vernon Monday evening for a 7:30pm start.

Swim/Dive is currently competing in the Occoquan Region Championships this weekend. Wrestling competed in the Occoquan Region Championships Wednesday and Thursday at Fairfax High School. The Atoms were led by Jordy Lopez Funes and Junior Vera Puna who advanced to the second day of the championship. Junior battled hard in each match, falling just short of qualifying for the state meet but will go in as an alternate. Jordy made it to the region final in his weight class but came up short in his attempt to be region champion. He will go into the state tournament, February 16 and 17, as the number two seed from region C. 

Indoor Track is preparing for the Occoquan Region Championship on February 14 and 15. Gymnastics had Kate Hanlen compete in the Occoquan Region Championships Monday evening at Robinson. Kate had an impressive showing and represented Annandale well in a competitive meet. The Atoms are young and have a bright future ahead of them.

February 19 - Spring Sports Tryouts: Spring sports tryouts are right around the corner. The dates for tryouts are Monday, February 19 through Wednesday, February 21.

Spring sports include lacrosse, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, and outdoor track. In order to participate, there are 2 items that need to be completed prior to the first day of tryouts: 1) Sports Physical - Completed and turned in to Athletic Trainers Ryan Hughes and 2) Activity Registration. This is an online submission that encompasses the Emergency Care Form and Concussion Education Training.

Any athlete without a physical and registration on file by Friday, February 16 will not be allowed to tryout on Monday, February 19. Athletes submitting physicals and registration post February 16 will be eligible to tryout the day after the physical and registration have been submitted. For more information about tryouts, check www.annandaleatoms.net.

News from the PTSA

February 20 - 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.

Volunteers Wanted - AHS Pantry: The AHS Pantry needs your help! Each month, the Annandale Pantry distributes bags of food to Annandale families in need. Distribution dates are primarily on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 3:30-5:00pm. Please consider volunteering to assist in a distribution. Volunteers can sign up here.

AHS Pantry Distribution Every Second Wednesday: We offer bi-monthly family distributions as well as twice weekly student distributions and emergency needs and gift cards for emergency situations that are tracked and distributed with our AHS clinical staff. We have partnerships with Food for Others and Fairfax Diaper as well as other Community businesses, neighborhoods, girl scout troops and churches.