Annandale Community Insider - End of the Year

Annandale Students, Parents and Community:

Thank you for an amazing year! I often say that no one can educate our students alone. The work is too complex and schools face challenges that are constantly evolving. At Annandale, we overcome these challenges by remaining focused on our priorities of relationships and support, high quality instruction, and strong collaboration. As a result, our students continue to learn and perform at the highest of levels.

Relationships & Support - This year, we prioritized social-emotional learning in our W4 advisory classes, holding three rounds of individual check-ins with students to build connections with their teachers. In addition, Students of the Month were recognized and celebrated for demonstrating our Atoms Agreements of empathy, determination, and safety. We continued to refine our approach to supporting students’ wellness and behavior through our student support and attendance teams. Finally, to develop relationships outside of the classroom, we held a W4 Activities Day each month. 

High Quality Instruction - Our teachers met in teams multiple times each week to collaboratively plan lessons, create common assessments and respond to student data. When planning high quality instruction, our focus was on learning targets, high level academic tasks, scaffolds, and using evidence of student learning to ensure all students can access high level thinking. For students who struggled academically, we provided intervention during class time and leveraged our PRIDE time and After School Academic Program (ASAP) to provide targeted intervention for their academic needs.

Strong Collaboration - This year, Annandale was awarded the designation of a Model PLC School. Throughout the year, we as a staff learned together by examining data and reflecting on our practices. Our environmental scans process gave teachers and teams opportunities to identify what would have the biggest impact on student learning, develop a high-leverage move to amplify that impact, and collaboratively reflect on teaching and learning. One teacher shared, “It helps me focus on getting really good at one thing. My high-leverage move has had such a big impact on my students!” In addition, our Instructional Council members, Collaborative Team Leads, admin and instructional coaches came together several times to examine our SOL, attendance, and grade data, and determine next steps to continue to get better. This group also shared important perspectives and input on key school-wide issues. We will use their input to help shape our work for next year. 

I hope you will take time this summer to relax and rejuvenate with loved ones. I will keep you updated periodically throughout the summer via the Insider, and we will see you on August 15 at New Student Orientation & Open House.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

June 17 - Annandale High School Summer Camps Begin

June 17 - Eid-al-Adha Holiday (Offices Closed)

June 19 - Juneteenth Holiday (Offices Closed)

June 24-July 24 – Summer Online Campus

July 4-5 - Fourth of July Holiday (Offices Closed)

July 8-26 – Summer School Credit Recovery

July 8-26 – CTE Summer Academy Program

July 9 - Summer Produce Pop Up

July 30 - Band Camp Begins

August 2 - Fall Sports Tryouts Begin

August 2-4 - Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday

August 8 - New Teacher Orientation

August 9 - First Day for Teachers

August 15 - New Student Orientation & Open House

August 19 - First Day of School for Students

August 30 and September 2 - Labor Day Holiday (No School)

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: Counselors had 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. The registration deadline is June 24. 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.

July 9 - Summer Produce Pop Up: Our summer produce pop up will begin on Sunday, July 9 from 3:00-4:00pm. The schedule can be found below or by clicking on this link. 

August 2 - Fall Sports Tryouts Begin: 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. 

Awesome Atoms!

AHS Celebrates Largest Number of IB Diploma Candidates: This year, Annandale High School proudly celebrates a landmark achievement as we graduate our largest group of International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma candidates to date—78 remarkable students. These dedicated scholars have not only completed between 12 to 18 rigorous IB courses but have also engaged deeply in the unique Theory of Knowledge class, crafted extensive 4,000-word extended essays, and participated in a myriad of service activities. Their commitment to academic excellence and community service exemplifies the spirit and intellectual vigor of Atom Nation. Congratulations to each of these students for reaching this significant milestone in their educational journey!

Chad Steffey Named Outstanding New Band Teacher! We are delighted to announce that Dr. Chad Steffey has been honored with the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education Outstanding New Band Teacher Award. His exceptional dedication has not only revitalized our band program at Annandale but also fostered a nurturing environment where students excel musically and grow as compassionate individuals. Dr. Steffey’s unwavering support, particularly his willingness to step in during a colleague's leave, exemplifies his commitment to our students' success. This well-deserved recognition highlights his significant impact on nurturing budding musicians within our community. Congratulations, Dr. Steffey, on this outstanding achievement!

Two Annandale Seniors Featured on WTOP: AHS Seniors Sosan Barakzai and Husna Basiri were recently featured on WTOP for their outstanding contributions to our community. As founders of the "Dunya" club, they have created a vital support network for immigrant students adjusting to life in Fairfax County. Their dedication to fostering inclusivity and understanding among students from diverse backgrounds is truly inspirational. Both graduates are headed to George Washington University, leaving behind a legacy that will guide future Annandale students. Congratulations, Sosan and Husna, on this well-deserved recognition!

Donna Higgins, AP, Supports North Springfield Elementary: Donna Higgins was given an opportunity to support North Springfield Elementary School to help close out the school year. She seamlessly adjusted to the environment and loved interacting with students, teachers and staff. Every day was an adventure! She participated in the True Book Fair, attended a fabulous play called The 101 Dalmatians and a Fishbowl Pre-K Celebration, visited several amazing teachers in their classrooms to observe students actively engaged with the content, recruited teachers and IAs for the upcoming school year and greeted by the most loving and friendly students that were the best huggers in the county! Probably one of the most memorable moments was when she watched our Amazing Atoms Graduates return to North Springfield Elementary School to walk down the halls to be recognized by excited teachers, students and administrators that held up signs to congratulate them! It was a great way to end the school year!

Senior Annabelle Lee Wins Community Action & Service Scholarship: Congratulations to the recently graduated Atom, Annabelle Lee, who was awarded her Community Action & Service Scholarship at the Asian Leadership Alliance (ALA) Banquet. Annabelle was awarded $1,000 to support her college education. The ALA is an organization that focuses on providing resources and support for professional career development for our students of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Annabelle will be attending New York University (NYU) in the fall. Awesome job Annabelle!

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.

Summer Assignments: All FCPS middle school and high schools will not give summer assignments. Instead, schools have the option to recommend optional enrichment activities that are not for a grade. At Annandale, we highly encourage student selected texts or books to read over the summer.

Summer Office Hours: The Annandale Main Office will be open on weekdays from 8:00am-2:00pm this summer. The office will be closed on Monday, June 17, Wednesday, June 19, Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5. Registrations are by appointment only. Please contact Annandale registrar, Esther Amenyah at emamenyah@fcps.edu to schedule an appointment.

Report Cards Mailed - Week of June 24: Report cards will be mailed out the week of June 26. For questions about a specific progress report or grade you can login into your SIS ParentVUE Account to find detailed grade book information.

Student Laptop Collection: All students are required to turn in their FCPS. Any student who has not already returned their FCPS issued laptop must drop off their computer this week in the main office. If your student is participating in an FCPS summer program they may keep the laptop and power cord. 

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. 

Annandale PTSA Pantry

During the 2023-2024 school year we have held 18 pantry distributions which have supported 779 families totaling 3,834 individuals. 

An ATOMic shout out to our pantry volunteers. We could not do it without you. A huge thank you to Richard Santana, Al and Rai Kent, Angela Torres, Mike Burita, Jessica Arias, Karen Hughes, Rosario Carrasco, Alissa Green, Gisela Sanchez, Craign Eres, AHS Staff Volunteers, AHS Student Volunteers, our community partners: Fairfax Diapers, Food for Others, BRAWS and individual members of the AHS greater community who continue to amaze and support us with your donations both in kind and financially. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Our summer produce pop up will begin on Sunday, July 9 from 3:00-4:00. The schedule can be found here. 

Looking ahead to next year, we will be partnering with Food for Neighbors to help stock our shelves. Please sign up to be a red bag donor. It is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Just sign up to be a red bag donor. Fill the red bag with the list provided by email of full-sized items needed. Then, put the red bag outside your door by 8:30am on the donation days.

News from Student Services

July 8-26 - Summer School Credit Recovery: Registration is open for students who need to take a summer credit recovery course. Credit Recovery Academy is for students who receive an F or NM for a course required for graduation. Students can take one course, in-person. For more information, visit the FCPS website and contact your counselor. The registration deadline is June 24. Below is detailed information:

• No cost
• Location: Madison HS (transportation provided from designated pick-up spots)
• Monday, July 8 - Friday, July 26 (most courses)
• 8:00am - 1:00pm

Support Still Available for Seniors Applying for College Financial Aid! Parents and students from the Class of 2024 who would like help completing or correcting your FAFSA or VASA? College Access Fairfax will be holding free clinics throughout the summer at various locations in the county. Clinics are currently scheduled throughout June and July. Both the student and a parent/guardian must attend the clinic. Applicants should bring a laptop to the events that are not at FCPS sites. Spanish Translation will be available. For more information, to register for a clinic, or to request a one-on-one appointment, please visit www.collegeaccessfairfax.org. These services are free of charge. 

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.

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, 2024. 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. 

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.

August 17 - INOVA Back to School Pediatric Health Fair: Inova Cares Clinic (ICC) will provide children ages 5+ with free school entrance physicals and immunizations at their summer health fair on August 17 in Falls Church. This event is for children on Medicaid or who are uninsured. Appointments are required. No walk-ins will be allowed. Call 703-698-2550 for an appointment. 

News from the Student Activities Office

At Annandale, we foster belonging both inside and outside the classroom. Sports and activities are another way for students to deepen a sense of belonging at school. To learn more about Annandale's Spring sports programs, check out this week’s “Atoms Athletics and Activities Newsletter." In addition, learn more about Annandale High School Athletics and Activities by visiting their website, AHS Athletics Twitter or Instagram page. 

Annandale Athletics Yearlong Recap: Thank you to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, parents, and community for making the 2023-2024 year a success at Annandale. Check out this week’s “Atoms Athletics and Activities Newsletter" for a recap of the past school year that includes fall, winter, and spring sports.

Add Your name to the Atoms Legacy Wall: The Annandale High School history of success, community support, and strong alumni base stretches back to its creation in 1954. To help commemorate and preserve that legacy, students, alumni, and community members have the opportunity to purchase an acrylic block on the Legacy Wall as a graduation or birthday gift, or to simply share a legacy with the Annandale community. Each acrylic block can be purchased for $100 and will be displayed along the stadium field wall. To purchase a block, visit myschoolbucks.com. *Note orders will be made once the quantity reaches 50 purchased blocks* For more information, contact Brandon Sutphin or Bryan Harris

Fall 2024 Sports Tryout Dates: 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. If you need to obtain a current VHSL physical, be sure to stop by our Physical Night at Annandale on May 21 between 5:45 and 7:30pm.

Band Camp Begins July 30: The Marching Atoms band camp begins on July 30 from 8:00am to 4:00pm. We will be greeting all students at Door 2 on the first day of band camp. We have a full staff of professional instructors ready to work with our students, including alumni from Carolina Crown, the JMU Marching Royal Dukes, the University of North Texas, George Mason Univ., Florida State Univ., and UVA. Please use the following link to register: Marching Atoms.

News from the PTSA

Thank You Annandale PTSA! Huge shoutout to the Annandale PTSA for their support throughout the year. The 2022-23 PTSA Officers include President Angela Torres, Vice President Programs Thurraya Kent, Vice President, Membership Tammy Murphy, Treasurer Renate Thompson, Secretary Andre McGinity. In addition, a special shout out to Kimberly Bellem for all her work this year along with Rheanna Bernard for organizing the All Night Grad Celebration and Norma Foti for leading the AHS Pantry.

2024-2025 PTSA Officers Selected: The PTSA recently voted in new officers for the 2024-25 school year. They include: President: Angela Torres, Vice President Programs: Sarah Henken, Vice President Membership: Hanh McPherson, Treasurer: Renate Thompson, Secretary: Jennifer Ellis. Congrats and thank you for your leadership in supporting our students, families and staff.

Summer 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.