Annandale Community Insider - February 19

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

Today marks the start of the spring sports season. Sports and activities are a great way for students to deepen a sense of belonging at school. The benefits of participating in athletics in high school is well documented. Sports benefit both our physical and mental health and help mitigate stress and anxiety. Moreover, students who participate in athletics perform better academically than their peers. Spring sports include tennis, soccer, lacrosse, track and field, baseball and softball.

To learn more about Annandale's Spring sports programs, check out this week’s “Atoms Athletics and Activities Newsletter,” that includes required paperwork and tryout information. In addition, information about Annandale High School Athletics and Activities can be found on their website. Please email Brandon Sutphin if you have any questions.

Looking ahead, I am excited for our Inclusion Revolution Week, which kicks off Monday, March 4, with our final W4 Activities day of the year. As you know, W4 Activities Days are additional opportunities for our 2200 students to deepen their sense of connection and belonging to Atom Nation. Held monthly during our advisory and intervention period, students select from academic, club-sponsored, or plain old fun activities to participate in. On this day, you can find students playing soccer or volleyball, walking the track, painting or making slime, trying new instruments, or completing club-related tasks, among other options. I am so proud we are one of very few high schools that manage the planning and logistics for this monthly event. A big thank you to our Assistant Director of Student Activities, Bryan Harris, and our teachers and staff for supporting this day!

As the next part of Inclusion Revolution Week, we will host Justice High School at our FanQuest Pep Rally and basketball game on Wednesday, March 6. This is an opportunity for our students with severe disabilities to play some great basketball against another FCPS high school, with the tremendous support of our entire student body. This may be my favorite event of the year. I have to admit, the show of support from all of our students and staff makes me tear up every time. Check out this video from last year’s FanQuest event. 

Finally, that week culminates with our 18th Annual Just World Festival and Heritage Night on Friday, March 8. These events make up one of the best evenings of the year at Annandale. The theme for this year’s Just World festival is "Solidarity in Community,” and it strives to educate the community about global and environmental issues, fair trade, human rights, equality, and most importantly, social action. Directly after the Just World festival, students will showcase their cultural heritage at the Heritage Night performance in an incredible celebration of our diversity. This event fills our auditorium and tickets go fast, so please see below for more information!

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

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.

This week, in honor of Black History Month, government classes are researching the Executive Branch and practicing source analysis skills through the study of presidential executive orders which advanced racial equality beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation. In World History, students are focusing their learning on the lasting impact the Haitian Revolution had on the fight for independence throughout Latin America, and how African nations exhibited agency during the Age of Imperialism.

Important Dates

Now through March 8 - Heritage Night Tickets on Sale

February 19 - President’s Day (No School)

February 19 - Spring Sports Begin

February 20 - PTSA Meeting

February 24 - PTSA MONOPOLY® Tournament

February 28 - PTSA Pantry Distribution

March 2 - Family Boot Camp, 9am

March 4-8 - Inclusion Revolution Week

March 4 - W4 Activities Day

March 4 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting, 6pm

March 5 - School Planning Day (No School)

March 6 - FanQuest Pep Rally

March 6 & 8 - IB Junior Extended Essay Library Day

March 8 - Just World Festival & Heritage Night

March 13 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving

March 22 - End of 3rd Quarter

March 25-29 - Spring Break

Now through March 8 - Heritage Night Tickets on Sale: 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 are now on sale! Cost is $10. 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!

February 19 - Presidents Day (No School): As a reminder, all schools and offices will be closed on today, 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 today, 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, February 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.

February 28 - Spring Meet the Coaches Night: On Wednesday, February 28, parents will have an opportunity to hear from the activities office, our athletic trainer and spring sports coaches to learn more about supporting their spring student-athlete. Meet the Coaches Night will start at 6:30pm in the cafeteria.

March 6 - FanQuest Pep Rally: FanQuest is an event that promotes inclusion and provides our special education students the opportunity to showcase their basketball skills in front of the entire student body. This year our amazing Special Olympics Basketball team will take on the Justice Wolves in a riveting basketball match. Check out this video from last year’s FanQuest event. FanQuest is just one event during “Inclusion Revolution Week” at Annandale High School that highlights the diversity of our school. 

March 6 & 8 - IB Junior Extended Essay Library Day: This year we have 99 juniors that have started their IB diploma journey. To support these students on one of their requirements, the Extended Essay, they will participate in an in-school field trip to the AHS library. IB juniors with last names A-L will meet on Wednesday, March 6 and those with last names M-Z will meet on Friday, March. Students will spend the day crafting their research question, finding sources, and developing an outline. Mary Johnson, Extended Essay coordinator, and our librarians will provide guidance. Attendance is mandatory. Students should notify their teachers in advance and make plans if they miss an assessment. Please reach out to Linda Bradshaw, IB coordinator or Mary Johnson if you have any questions.

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.

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...

" How will you stay connected to school during the spring season?"

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

Area Journalists Visit Annandale High School: On Friday, Annandale Students meet with political journalist Al Hunt, Fox 5’s Shomari Stone, and NPR’s Michel Martin to help share stories about their careers, offered advice to students and helped share article the students are working on that matter to our school community. Check out Shomari Stones shoutout to Annandale on FOX 5 here.

Annandale Students Earn Recognition at Edison Academy! Two Annandale students received second quarter recognition with us. Please congratulate them on their accomplishment! Sophia Terrazas-Toranzo earned the Achievement Award for Cyber Security: Exploring IT, and Melvin Guerra Argueta earned Student of the Quarter for Electrical Construction 1. Check out the photo album of all second quarter award winners.

Muslim Student Association Celebrates Middle Eastern Culture! At that annual Arabian Night event, students from diverse backgrounds had the opportunity to try different authentic Arabic food, listen to songs, and play games. Thank you to all who supported this event and to the students who spent their evening sharing with their classmates!

AHS English Teacher Selected as Fulbright Global Competence Fellow: Last week administrator Sarah Eqab accompanied IB Language and Literature teacher, Kathleen Mathis, to the Fulbright Global Education Symposium in Washington, DC. They spent several days engaging with representatives of the U.S. Department of State, as well as administrators and educators from across the country. They also discussed how to integrate global competence and instructional strategies in the classroom. The Symposium is part of Mathis’s journey as a Fulbright Teachers for Global Competence fellow. In June she will travel to Uruguay to learn about their education system. As part of her capstone project, she will create an educational guide to incorporating global perspectives in the classroom.

Students Visit NOVA Auto Tech Program: Earlier this month, 45 AHS students visited the NOVA Alexandria campus to tour the campus and learn about the Auto Tech programs available at NOVA. Everyone enjoyed the trip and we hope to make it an annual event. Students who would like help applying to NOVA can stay after school on Thursdays in Room 90 for assistance.

Annandale Celebrates School Resource Officer (SRO) Day: The SRO assignment is unique within the law enforcement profession. These officers fill a three-part role, serving as informal mentors or counselors, law educators and law enforcement officers to support the students and communities they serve. On Thursday, we celebrated Hannah Isabella, Annandale's School Resource Officer (SRO), who is a vital partner in keeping our school community safe. Thank you Officer Isabella for all you do!

AHS Celebrates Students of the Month: Congratulations to Hailiee Alves, Daniel Benitez, Sarem Bonger, Munira Khalif, Nicolas Larrazabal, Jason Lopez, Laura Nguyen, Stephanie Nguyen, Karen Rivera-Perez for being selected as our January Students of the Month. Each month, Annandale teachers nominate one student who exemplifies one of our Atoms Agreements of Empathy, Determination, and Safety. In January, our focus was on Empathy. Congratulations to all for being selected as our Student of the Month winners! Our next round of Students of the Month for February will focus on students that exemplify the Atom Agreement of Determination.

Important Information

Eating Disorder Information: Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses that can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights. Eating disorders are not fads or phases, and can have serious consequences for health, productivity, and relationships. To support families struggling with an eating disorder, FCPS, in collaboration with the Fairfax County Health Department, FCPS has developed a web page with detailed information and resources to be provided to parents and guardians of Fairfax County Public Schools. This information may be found at here.

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 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!

In addition, we need several people to help finish planning, setting up, and staffing the Tournament. Please visit https://bit.ly/3SP3pU4 or reach out to Rai
Kent at ptsaprograms@gmail.com to volunteer.

March 2 - Family Bootcamp Fundraiser, 9am - Elevate Your Family's Health Together! Join Our Exclusive Family Bootcamp Fundraiser for the Annandale Atoms! Unleash the power of family fun and fitness at our high-energy Family Bootcamp Fundraiser sponsored by the Annandale High Football Team. This boot camp will have engaging activities cater to all fitness levels, creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for the whole family. Kids will separated appropriately by age range and given a trainer to run the fun activities for them! Recommended kids age 6-12. Sign up here! 

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.

March 4 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting, 6pm: Join us on Monday, March 4 in-person at Annandale High School in the Driver’s Education Room. The meeting will begin at 6pm. All members of the Atoms Booster Club are invited to attend to hear the latest updates on our Winter sports activities and support plans.

Recap from the week in winter sports: Girls Basketball completed their season with a quarterfinal loss in the National District Tournament at Hayfield Monday evening. The Atoms played hard throughout but Hayfield was just too strong. The Atoms showed a lot of grit, determination, and improvement throughout the season. The Atoms lose a some seniors but return a core group of players who look to continue the growth next season. The team was highlighted by the postseason selections of Ava Sewall, first team all district, and Susan Aburish, all district honorable mention.

Boys Basketball traveled to Mount Vernon for the National District Quarterfinals. The crowd was treated to an entertaining back and forth match up from start to finish. The Atoms held a lead to start the fourth but the Majors battled back and took a lead with a minute to play. The Atoms showed resilience and forced OT with about 10 seconds to play. Unfortunately, the Atoms lost a heartbreaker with the Majors hitting a couple back breaking shots to get the 3 point win. 

Swim/Dive had a record breaking performance at the VHSL State Championship Meet in Hampton. Melanie Decareau won her swim-off to qualify for the finals in the 50 free Friday evening. Melanie finished her season with a 16 place finish in the state. The boys 200 medley relay (Colin McGee, Finn Sample, James Chilton, & Noah Popp) broke a school record at the regions to qualify for the state meet. The team was able to secure a spot in the finals Friday evening and finished as the 12th overall team in the state! Colin McGee completed his high school career in an exciting fashion. He qualified for the A final Friday evening by .01 seconds and tying the school record in the 100M Breaststroke. He completed the evening by finishing 8th overall in state. It was a successful year for the program overall!

Wrestling had one wrestler travel to the VHSL State Championship Meet in Virginia Beach. Jordy Lopez Funes was the lone wrestler and made Annandale proud. He pinned his opponent in his first match but lost in the quarterfinals. He moved to the consolations where he won his first match to move on. Unfortunately, he was unable to pull through in his second match and lost a 10-6 decision to be eliminated. He finishes his season with a 35-5 record and looks to improve on that as he returns for his senior year.

Indoor Trackcompeted in the Occoquan Region Championship Meet Wednesday and Thursday at PG Sportsplex. The Atoms showed heart across all events and unfortunately no Atoms were able to secure a state berth they should be proud of their accomplishments. The Atoms were highlighted by Pamela Moura's performance in the long and triple jump events. She performed well enough to qualify for the finals on day 2 and finished 6th overall in the region.

February 19 - Spring Sports Tryouts: Spring sports tryouts are right around the corner. The dates for tryouts are today, 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

Upcoming Events - Mark your calendars! 
February 24 - The Monopoly Official Tournament
April 6 - Annual Mulch Sale
April 14-21 - Silent Auction 
May 4 - Flea Market
June 4 - All Night Grad

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.

PTSA Nominating Committee: Each year the PTSA forms a committee to identify people interested in serving as PTSA officers. The Nominating Committee advertises the opportunities available and explains how to
apply, receives nominations and identifies potential candidates, and presents a slate of nominees at the April PTSA general membership meeting. Contact Angela Torres at atoms.ahs.president@gmail.com for more information or to sign up.

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.