Annandale Community Insider - June 9

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

At Monday’s graduation ceremony, Senior Class President Semir Ali shared a powerful insight with his classmates: “Despite the various perspectives and experiences we each bring to Atom Nation, there is an especially strong sense of community that keeps us connected and motivated.” 

It is because of this unique community that our students thrive. The accomplishments of our graduates, highlighted in the Class of 2024 Highlights, along with the achievements of our students and staff featured each week in our Awesome Atoms, are just a few examples of the ways our students shine.

As I shared at the ceremony, supporting the needs of our students throughout the pandemic, through the shifts from online learning, to hybrid, and back to full time in-person, has been challenging. Despite those challenges, we remain dedicated to supporting each student's individual needs, fostering their academic growth, and nurturing their social-emotional development. As a direct result of this work, our students, and our school community are seeing incredible successes.

That collective success illustrates the power of the community connection that Semir spoke of. Orchestra teacher and 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Winner, Annie Ray, put it best when she shared with our graduates how being a part of, and learning alongside the Annandale Community has had a profound impact on her and her work. She said, “being your teacher (even if I have never had my name listed on your class schedule) has been one of the greatest honors and joys of my life. Each and every one of you inspires me and has taught me more than you will ever know.”

I am so proud to be part of this community where each and every one of us, regardless of experience or perspective, is supported and encouraged. Thank you for your support all year long! Have a great last week of school, Atom Nation!

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

Now through June 11 - Final Exams (Dismissal 11:25am)

Now through June 11 - Underclassmen Laptop Collection

June 10 - Booster Meeting, 6pm

June 11 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

June 12 - Last Day of School (Dismissal 10:10am)

June 17 - Annandale High School Summer Camps Begin

Now through June 11 - Final Exams (Dismissal 11:25am): Final exams for our underclass students continue this week. See the exam schedule below. Monday and Tuesday, students will be dismissed at 11:25am. Students should turn in their FCPS issued laptop after the last exam for which it is needed. Laptop collection will be held after each exam in the cafeteria, where students can also pick up a grab-and-go lunch before leaving for the day. 

Now through June 11 - Underclassmen Laptop Collection: All students are required to turn in their FCPS issued laptop before leaving for the summer. Students will have the opportunity to turn in their laptop now through June 11 from 9:20-11:25am, in the Cafeteria, after the last final for which it is needed.  On the last day of school, June 12, students may turn in their laptops at 8:10am in the Cafeteria. Students who are registered for FCPS summer school will be issued a laptop at their summer school location.

June 10 - Booster Meeting, 6pm: Join us on Monday, June 10, in-person at Annandale High School in the Driver’s Education Room. The meeting will begin at 6:00pm. All members of the Atoms Booster Club are invited to attend to hear the latest updates on our Winter sports activities and support plans.

June 11 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, June 11 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. 

June 12 - Last Day of School (Dismissal 10:10am): Wednesday, June 12, is a two-hour day with students being dismissed for the year at 10:10am.

June 17 - Annandale High School Summer Camps Begin: Looking for fun activities for your child this summer? Annandale High School is offering a variety of summer camps this year for current elementary and middle school students led by our own Annandale coaches. Help spread the word to friends, family and neighbors! More information on signups upcoming!

Registration for all camps can be found HERE. See descriptions of the various camps below. More information can be found at AnnandaleAtoms.net. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp, and they should bring a snack and a water bottle each day. Cash or checks are accepted. Checks should be made out to “Annandale Athletic Boosters.”

Payment is due on the first day of camp or can be made online by clicking on the camps link below (When paying online, there is an additional small fee for processing). Save the dates for our camps below!

June 24-July 24 – Summer Online Campus: For students seeking to earn new credit for a course, the Summer Learning Online Campus will take place virtually from June 24 to July 24. Please check the link provided with program details and tuition. Students that enroll in any new credit course should expect to have one-hour daily of synchronous work and between 6-7 hours of work daily. Reach out to your school counselor if you have questions.

July 8-26 – Summer School Credit Recovery: In the coming weeks, counselors will be having conversations with students about possible summer learning opportunities. For students needing credit recovery, classes will be in-person at Madison High School from July 8-26. Attendance is mandatory and is tracked by the minute (300 minutes per day). If a student misses over 600 minutes, they will be removed from the program. Communicate with your student’s counselor if there are questions.

July 8-26 – CTE Summer Academy Program: For students interested in taking a deeper dive into Career and Technical Education (CTE) program areas, the CTE Summer Academy Program does an exploration of Business and Information Technology, Health and Medical Sciences, Marketing, Technology/Engineering Education, and more! Housed at Lake Braddock Secondary School, this program will provide students 4 hours daily of enriching programming and career exploration. Please consult the link for tuition details, transportation, and schedule.

Class of 2024 Information

Annandale's Class of 2024 have been celebrated across the division for their unwavering determination and deep empathy for their fellow community members. Their remarkable journeys have even been highlighted by FCPS and local news outlets. Take a moment to check out their inspiring stories. 

FCPS Photographer, Donnie Biggs and Annandale Parent, Shannon Blevins, captured the day. Check out their pictures here: FCPS Photo Gallery; Annandale Parent Photo Gallery.

Finish Strong!

End of Year Attendance Requirements: The last day of school for underclass students is Wednesday, June 12. While SOL testing is coming to an end, there is still much going on in our classrooms. All students are expected to attend school each day to complete these activities and finish the year strong.

Now through June 11, school will be held from 8:10-11:25am. During this time, students will complete their end of course exams. These culminating activities assess students’ mastery of the standards and skills they have been learning throughout the year. Wednesday, June 12, is a two-hour day with students being dismissed for the year at 10:10am.

Final Exams: In each class, the final exam or culminating activity counts for 10% of a student’s grade, regardless of the impact on the final grade. Per FCPS policy, a student whose absence from the final examination or activity is unexcused will receive an F for that examination. Exceptions to this must be approved by the principal. Final exams are not eligible for retakes.

It is important for students to recognize the impact their final exams will have on their grades, and take steps to prepare so they can do their best. In W4 Advisory, students had one-on-one check-ins with their teacher, reviewed their current grades, and created a plan to prepare.

Awesome Atoms!

Annandale Gets A Spirit Rock! Huge thank you to Annandale PTSA and Luck Stone Quarry for the donation of our Spirit Rock. Dave Snider and Luck Stone Quarry generously donated the seven (7) ton rock and arranged for the donation and delivery. Delivery was courtesy of LCS Site Services. Seniors painted the rock during Senior Sunset. We look forward to seeing our Annandale Spirit on display for years to come.

EduFuturo Partnership Brings Emerging Leader Program to Annandale: This spring Annandale partnered with Edu-Futuro to offer the Emerging Leadership Program (ELP 1) focusing on current sophomores and juniors who are first generation college-bound students with an emphasis on communication and leadership skills to prepare them for life after high school. We had 26 students graduate from this after-school program and multiple students won scholarships for their participation like Mailhi Leon Lobos won first place in the essay competition and Rossy Soto who won first place in the speech competition. A summer Edu-Futuro bootcamp will be offered and interested candidates can complete this Google form. We plan on partnering with Edu-Futuro in the fall with additional opportunities so please stay tuned for more information!

AVID Program Grows Five-Fold! On May 22, the AHS AVID Program held its annual end of year review and celebration. The AVID program at Annandale High School has quintupled in the last eight years, with over 250 students enrolled for next year, making it the second largest program in the division. During the presentation, the AVID coordinator, elective teachers, and students shared program highlights and goals for the upcoming year. 

Students expressed that the program is a “safe place to do what I love“ that “feels like home” and described the AVID community as “a special family bonded with many aspirations…where I can work with my peers to reach my goals and help them meet theirs.”

AHS Selects New Student Equity Ambassador Leaders for 2024-25: Congratulations to Sage Nagle, Roselyn Phan-Nguyen, and Meilhi Leon Terceros who were selected to serve as Annandale High School’s Student Equity Ambassador Leaders (SEAL) for the 2024-25 school year. Student Equity Ambassador Leaders is a leadership program that amplifies students’ voices and provides an increased understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion through leadership development, projects, and relevant experiences.

AHS Celebrates Sibyl Dauer at Special Ceremony: We deeply regret that Sibyl Dauer's name was unfortunately missed during Monday's graduation ceremony. To rectify this, we held a special ceremony on Friday morning, where we recreated the moment for Sibyl. It was a heartwarming event, and we are grateful to all who joined us in celebrating Sibyl's achievements, ensuring she felt the full support and recognition of our community.

IB Middle Years Programme Personal Project: As part of our work as an IB school, each year our sophomores complete a personal project through their English classes. For their Personal Project, students select a topic they are interested in learning how to do, make, create, develop, or otherwise pursue, actually pursue it, and write a report about the experience. Some of our students also showcase their projects and talk about the experience with ninth grade classes. 

For her project, sophomore Eriene Nofrisal decided she would interview strangers, asking them for advice that would help high schoolers. In her report, she shares, “I’m always seeking advice from others but sometimes I find that advice to be unrelatable or inapplicable to myself. With strangers, even though they don’t know you personally, a lot of them have good advice and have gone through the same issues during high school. Since I’m trying to make my time in high school worthwhile and not make too many mistakes that could possibly hurt me in the future, I want to get as much advice as possible and make my overall high school experience the best it can be.” Take a look at her video interviews here!

Important Information

SOL Scores Posted in SIS ParentVUE: Families can find Standards of Learning (SOL) reports for spring testing in the SIS ParentVUE Documents section on or before the last day of school. Log in to your ParentVUE account to access the official SOL Score Report with overall and reporting category performance for all spring tests. Visit the FCPS website for additional information about spring assessment reporting practices and timelines. Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.

Now through June 12 - Medication Pickup:The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than 12:00pm on Wednesday, June 12. Medications left in the health room after that time will be discarded. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian, however, with parent or guardian written permission, a high school student may transport over-the-counter medications to and from the health room. If you have any questions, please contact the School Health Aide Larry Cooper at 703-642-4110 or the Public Health Nurse Michelle Dierkes.

Free Student Bus Pass Program: Did you know that middle school students and high school students attending FCPS are eligible to participate in our Free Student Bus Pass Program. This allows students to ride the Connector, Metro (Falls Church HS, Justice HS, Annandale HS, Davis Ctr and Marshall HS), and Cue buses for free, seven days a week between the hours of 7:00am and 10:00pm. Click here for more information on the program. 

Don’t Forget to Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance! It’s a busy time of year, and we know there are many priorities on families’ plates. As we approach the end of the school year, it is important to remember to check your students’ MySchoolBucks account and pay any remaining school meal balance. Families that earn less than 185% of poverty level qualify for free and reduced-price meals. However, an application must be completed and submitted each school year to receive that benefit. The application for the 2024-25 school year will be available this summer. If families have a current balance and think they may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, please fill out the FRM application. Get more information about free and reduced-price lunch.

Opportunities

Virtual Mental Wellness Consultations: This summer, the FCPS Office of Intervention and Prevention Services will offer virtual Mental Wellness Consultations from Monday, June 24, through Friday, August 2. Any FCPS parent or secondary student can schedule a 45-minute consultation with a school psychologist or social worker by phone or videoconference. We encourage all families to take advantage of this service. Request a consultation or call and leave a message at 703-503-2520.

No-Cost Virtual Therapy for High School Students: Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide a safe space to address concerns such as, mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss, anxiety, worry, fears, social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships, and academic stress. In order for students to participate, caregivers must give permission for FCPS to share basic demographic information with Hazel Health in ParentVUE and provide consent. Students can then be referred to therapy by a guardian or school staff member. You may refer your child by calling 571-749-2940 or by contacting your student’s counselor. Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.

NOVA Early Online College Fall 2024 Semester Registration: NOVA Early Online College (EOC) allows rising high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take up to two tuition-free college courses. EOC courses for the fall semester take place Monday, September 23, through Tuesday, December 17. Students should register by Friday, July 26, at 5pm.

Courses are asynchronous, online, and for college credit only. Thirteen courses are offered along with courses that fulfill the IT Technical Support Career Studies Certificate. EOC courses meet the requirements for most of NOVA’s associate degrees as well as being highly transferable as general education requirements for most colleges and universities.

News from the Student 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.

August 2 - Start of Fall Season: Mark your calendars for Fall 2024 sports tryout dates. Golf tryouts begin on Friday, August 2 and all other fall sports (football, cheer, field hockey, cross-country & volleyball) will begin on Monday, August 5.

News from the PTSA

2024-2025 PTSA Board Slate: The Nominations Committee recommends the slate below for PTSA approval at its June meeting. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to serve on a committee. We will be circling back to get you engaged. We are always looking for more volunteers and there are roles that can fit every time commitment and interest. 

• President: Angela Torres
• Vice President Programs: Sarah Henken
• Vice President Membership: Hanh McPherson
• Treasurer: Renate Thompson
• Secretary: Jennifer Ellis

June 11 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, June 11 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. 

Camp Information

Looking for fun activities for your child this summer? Annandale High School is offering a variety of summer camps this year for current elementary and middle school students led by our own Annandale coaches. Help spread the word to friends, family and neighbors! More information on signups upcoming!

Registration for all camps can be found HERE. See descriptions of the various camps below. More information can be found at AnnandaleAtoms.net. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp, and they should bring a snack and a water bottle each day. Cash or checks are accepted. Checks should be made out to “Annandale Athletic Boosters.”

Payment is due on the first day of camp or can be made online by clicking on the camps link below (When paying online, there is an additional small fee for processing). Save the dates for our camps below!

Multi-Sport Camp - Rising 2nd-9th Graders - June 17-21 ($120): Campers will have fun playing a variety of sports including basketball, kickball, volleyball, soccer, and touch football. They will participate in fun contests and win prizes! Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp. Hours are 8:30am-3:00pm. To pay online for the Multi-Sport Camp: Click Here.

Olympics Camp - Rising 2nd-9th Graders - June 24-27 ($120): This exciting camp features team activities including soccer, volleyball, basketball, touch football, and relay races. Campers will also get a chance to compete and earn medals! Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp. Hours are 8:30am-3:00pm. For questions about Multi-Sport or Olympics Camps, please reach out to Christopher Bagot, Camp Director and Varsity Coach. To pay online for the Olympics Camp: Click Here.

Basketball - Rising 4th-9th Graders - July 8-12 ($200): Campers will spend each day focused on developing their basketball skills. They will also receive a report card on their basketball abilities, a t-shirt, and a chance to win trophies. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp. Hours are 9:00am to 3:00pm. For questions about Basketball Camp please reach out to Jerome McAvoy, Camp Director and Varsity Coach. To pay online for the Basketball Camp: Click Here.