Annandale Community Insider - September 7

Annandale Students, Parents, and Community,

As I shared in last week’s Community Insider, when you step into classrooms, talk with students, and look at the data, it is clear: Annandale is one of the best high schools in Virginia. What makes our success even more remarkable is that nearly three-quarters of our students qualify for free and/or reduced meals—a factor that usually predicts lower achievement. In fact, a recent New York Times article showed that students from higher-income families consistently outperform their peers on standardized tests, while those from lower-income households face steep barriers. 

In Fairfax County, the same pattern holds: schools with higher percentages of students qualifying for free and reduced meals almost always perform lower on state assessments. For example, Langley High School has the lowest rate in the county—just 4.4%—and, as predicted, it posts the highest SOL scores. This contrast is not just a statistic; it reflects a profound opportunity gap.

Annandale, however, is the exception. With more than 71% of our students qualifying for free and reduced meals, Annandale should be among the lowest-performing schools in FCPS. In fact, you can often predict how a school is going to perform simply by looking at its free and reduced meals (FRM) percentage. The graph below compares Math pass rates across FCPS high schools: each black dot represents a school, the green dot is Langley, the red dot is Annandale, and the blue regression line shows the predicted score based on FRM percentage. For Annandale, that line predicts a Math pass rate of about 73%. Instead, our students achieved an 85% pass rate—12 points higher than predicted.

Important Dates

September 8 - Activities Fair (During W4)
September 8 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting
September 9 - School Closed, Free Meals Available
September 10 - PTSA Pantry Distribution, 3:30pm
September 10 - College Visits Begin in College & Career Center
September 10 - Exploring Life After High School, 6-8pm
September 11 - National Day of Service
September 13 - Annandale Performing Arts Tag Day
September 16 - PTSA Meeting
September 18 - Back to School Night
September 20 - Taste of Annandale
September 22-26 - Homecoming Week
September 23 - Rosh Hashanah (No School)
September 27 - Homecoming Dance
September 30 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving
October 2 - Yom Kippur (No School)
June 8 - Class of 2026 Graduation, 7pm 

September 8 - Club & Activities Fair: On Monday, September 8, we will host our annual Clubs & Activities Fair during W4. Our goal as an Activities Department is increasing involvement and participation by our students in extracurricular offerings and the Activities Fair is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about everything that Annandale has to offer. For an up-to-date list of clubs currently offered at Annandale, visit this website.

September 8 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting: Come learn more about how you can support our Atoms Athletics teams! This is a great opportunity to meet fellow supporters, hear about upcoming events, and find out how you can get involved. We will meet at 6:00pm in the Driver’s Education room. Enter at Door 10. We look forward to seeing you there!

September 9 - School Closed, Free Meals Available: Annandale High School will provide free lunch and a snack for children 18 and under on Tuesday, September 9, when FCPS schools are closed for a special election. Meals are available 9:00am to 1:00pm. Each child may receive one lunch and one snack.

September 10 - College Visits Begin in College & Career Center: Our College & Career Center will host visits from representatives for colleges and universities throughout the country. Find out which schools are visiting here.  Juniors and Seniors will have the opportunity to hear from college admissions representatives to learn what makes their institution unique, admission requirements, financial aid, and more. Students must log into Naviance to register. Click on "Colleges" at the top of the page and then click on "college visits." Click "register now" for the visits you would like to attend. Once a student has signed up, they should receive a confirmation email. Passes will be delivered to their first class (R1/W2) the morning of the scheduled visit. If you do not have a first class you may pick up your pass from the Career Center (Room 103). Students who are not registered in Naviance for a college visit will be denied entry.

September 10 - Exploring Life After High School, 6-8pm: As senior year begins, it's the perfect time for students to start planning for life after high school. Join us on Wednesday, September 10, in Clausen Hall for an informative evening dedicated to exploring a variety of postsecondary pathways. Whether you're considering a four-year university, community college, trade school, or the military, this event offers a valuable opportunity to learn more about your options and begin shaping your future. You'll hear from representatives of each path, have an opportunity to ask questions, and gain insights to help guide your next steps. Students and parents are encouraged to attend.

September 13 - Annandale Performing Arts Tag Day: Tag Day is a major performing arts fundraiser where members of the Annandale Bands, Theatre, Chorus, Guitar and Orchestra go door to door within the community to ask for donations. The donations assist in funding uniforms, costumes, instruments, scholarships, clinicians, music, supplies, and registration for competitions. Your continued support enables us to proudly represent our school and community throughout the year. If you'd like to support, please click here to donate. Thank you for your generosity!

September 16 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, September 16 beginning at 7pm 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 for the 2025-2026 school year by purchasing membership in our new store. For more information about the Annandale PTSA contact us at atoms.ahs.president@gmail.com.

September 18 - Back to School Night, 6-8pm: Back to School Night (BTSN) will be held Thursday, September 18 from 6-8pm on our stadium field. Similar to years past, BTSN is an opportunity for families to have a brief, one-on-one, mini-conference with their students’ teachers.

September 18 - IB Diploma Parent Meeting: Parents of IB Diploma Juniors and Seniors are invited to attend a meeting to discuss IB requirements and support structures Annandale offers to ensure students are successful. The meeting will be held during Back to School Night, Thursday, September 18. Linda Bradshaw, IB Diploma Coordinator, will meet with parents of Juniors from 7:15-7:35 pm, and parents of Seniors from 7:40-8:00 pm, in the Main Gym. How do you know if your child is an IB Diploma candidate? Check their 4th period/Teacher Advisory in their schedule. IB Diploma candidates have one of the following teachers: Consumano, Duran-Russell, Dwyer, Hanneman, Hanson, Mathis, Needham, Obando, or Weintraut. If you are unable to attend, the presentation slides will be posted in the Community Insider following the meeting. Questions? Please email Linda Bradshaw.

September 20 – Taste of Annandale! The annual Taste of Annandale is back on Saturday, September 20 from 10:30am–6pm on Columbia Pike! This family-friendly festival is a vibrant celebration of our community’s rich diversity, bringing together residents, local businesses, and restaurants to showcase the unique flavors and cultures that make Annandale special. Organized by volunteers and community leaders, the event also supports vital youth programs through its proceeds. Learn more at the Taste of Annandale website.

Important Information

Student Parking: Parking applications may be picked up in the Main Office. Both the “Parking Agreement” and “Parking Application” forms must be turned into the Main Office. All payments must be submitted online via MySchoolBucks (and the “Annandale online store” tab). Students must have a parking pass to park in AHS student parking spaces beginning Monday, September 8. If you have any questions, please email Aaron Schneider. Note: All financial obligations must be cleared before you may receive a parking permit.

Visit the AHS Library! The AHS Library welcomes you! No pass is needed to visit before school (7:45-8:10am), during Second Chance Breakfast, or after school until 3:15 pm. Passes to use the library during the lunch block are available every day in the library before school and during Second Chance Breakfast. However, an official AHS pass is required during all instructional blocks. During Pride Time, the library is open for students who are signed up through the Pride Time spreadsheet Library tab (at the bottom of the page) and have a pass - just ask your PRIDE Time teacher to sign you up starting in October. We look forward to seeing you! For any questions, please contact Pat Brown or Jane Scharankov

Monitor Your Student’s Online Activity: FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their student’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service. Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites their student visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their student’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours. Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.

Reporting Student Attendance: Regular attendance is essential for student success. Research shows that absenteeism in the first month of school often predicts poor attendance for the rest of the year—half of the students who miss 2–4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school. To help your student get the most out of their education, please make sure they are in school and on time every day.

If your student must be absent, please notify the school by calling the attendance line at 703-642-4151. Families also have the option to submit full-day absences directly through SIS ParentVUE. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Attendance page.

Supporting Students Getting to Class On-Time: As part of our commitment to ensure our students are accessing high quality instruction and arriving to all their classes on time, every day, we will be implementing our Start on Time tardy sweep stations during every class transition. Students who are still in the hallways after the late bell will be escorted to their classes, where teachers will update their attendance accordingly. If students are arriving late to school with a note from a parent/guardian to explain their tardiness, they should report to the Attendance Office.

Cell Phones Off, Learning On: Thank you for helping to support the FCPS cell phone policy by waiting to call or text your child about non-urgent matters until the school day is over. In case of an emergency, it is always best to contact our school’s front office to reach your child during class time. Visit the FCPS Cell Phone Policy webpage to read more about usage policies by grade level and to share your feedback on the current cell phone policy.

Opportunities

September 11 - National Day of Service: With the upcoming anniversary of September 11, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks. All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.

September 30 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving: To get your driver’s license in Virginia, you must successfully pass the classroom portion of driver education. You must also attend a 90-minute parent-teen traffic safety program, Partners for Safe Teen Driving, or PSTD, with a parent/guardian. Annandale High School is hosting our first PSTD presentations on September 30. It is free to students enrolled in Health & PE 10 at Annandale HS and begins at 6:30pm in the auditorium. You must attend with a parent/guardian, arrive ON TIME, and remain the duration of the presentation for your attendance to be verified. Register here. If you have any questions, please contact Lizzie McManus.

VDOE Student Advisory Board Applications Are Open for Seniors! The Student Advisory Board is a highly competitive opportunity consisting of one high school senior from each of the eight Superintendent’s Regions in the Commonwealth. Appointed by the Governor, the Board works closely with the VDOE to provide student perspectives on important issues and play a vital role in the creation of policy by the Virginia Board of Education. Applications are open to any Virginia rising high school senior. The application window closes September 15. Find out more information today!

Silent Space for Prayer & Reflection: The Annandale High School Reflection and Silent Space is available in the library for students who need to pray, meditate, or engage in silent reflection. This space is inclusive of all students’ religious and non-religious beliefs. Students may access the Reflection and Silent Space before school, after school, and during lunch. Students who need to access this space during class time, will need to have the Parent/Guardian Authorization for Reflection Space Access form completed and submitted to the main office. Forms are available in the main office and the library.

Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost: FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.

Awesome Atoms

Welcome, Jeniva Miller – Assistant Principal: We are excited to officially announce Jeniva Miller as Annandale’s newest Assistant Principal! Now in her fifth year at Annandale, Jeniva has been an integral part of our community, supporting the English and ESOL departments as well as our instructional coaching team. She brings Pre-K through 12 experience from schools across three divisions, and previously served as an instructional coach at Glasgow Middle School. Jeniva holds degrees from Lincoln University and William Woods University, both in Missouri. Please join us in welcoming Jeniva to her new role!

First Football Game Tailgate: Last Thursday, we kicked off the football season in style with our first Faculty & Staff Tailgate before the home opener against Marshall High School! It was a great evening of food, fun, and community as staff, families, and fans came together to show their Atom pride. Thank you to our Activities Office for hosting and to everyone who came out to support our team—what an exciting way to start the season!

News from Students Services

Course Change Request Window: Students who wish to request a change to their current schedule may do so by completing the Schedule Change Request Form, available in Student Services from now through September 12. Before submitting the form, students must speak with the teacher of the class they wish to drop and obtain parent or guardian approval, which must be noted on the form. This is the only opportunity to request schedule changes for the 2025–26 school year. Requests will be prioritized based on student need, and counselors will contact students as necessary. Please reach out to your student’s counselor or Erin Crowley if you have any questions.

Senior Programming Class of 2026: Counselors are currently delivering lessons to seniors during W4. Topics covered include post-secondary planning, college applications, financial aid, and more. This information will be covered at our Senior Parent Night on Wednesday, September 10 at 6 pm. In addition, starting Monday, September 8, seniors will meet individually with their counselors to go over their specific graduation requirements and begin discussing college and career options after high school. Students will receive an email with their appointment time, as well as a pass on the day of their appointment. 

Signs of Suicide Prevention Program: The teen years are marked by a rollercoaster ride of emotions that may be difficult for teens, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil, however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age, and the past decade has seen teen suicide rates double. The FCPS Signs of Suicide Wellness Lessons and Screenings are currently under way for Grade 9 (September 16, 22, and October 1) and Grade 11 will take place in November. Families of these grade levels received a targeted notification with lesson and screening goals, as well as opt out procedures. Please contact Erin Crowley with any questions.

October 15 - Social and Emotional Learning Screener: One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is the SEL Screener. The screener is offered to all students in grades 3-12 in October and again in February or March. It addresses skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. The SEL Screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create the learning, experiences, and environments students need to be successful. SEL Screener results are sent to families via postal mail. Families who wish to opt their child out should complete the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or in the Digital Parental Consent App. For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. Families received an e-notify this past week with hard copy opt-out forms as well. Please note that the SEL Screener differs from the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey.

College & Career Planning Site: Check out Student Services: Annandale High School | Schoology (fcps.edu), which offers a variety of postsecondary planning resources including the college application process, community college, military and trade pathways, financial aid and scholarship opportunities. The Student Services Team also uses this platform to share updates on new college and career opportunities, so be sure to check it regularly for the latest information. Parents should use SIS ParentVUE account to login.

Upcoming College Visits – Register Now! Beginning next week, our College & Career Center will host visits from representatives for colleges and universities throughout the country. Find out which schools are visiting here. Juniors and Seniors who are interested in attending must log into Naviance to register. Click on "Colleges" at the top of the page and then click on "college visits." Click "register now" for the visits you would like to attend. Once you have signed up, you should receive a confirmation email. Please show the confirmation email to your teacher and get permission to attend.  Passes will be delivered to your first class (R1/W2) the morning of the scheduled visit. If you do not have a first class you may pick up your pass from the Career Center (Room 103). Students who are not registered in Naviance for a college visit will be denied entry.

SAT/ASVAB Day Coming October 8! On Wednesday, October 8, all Annandale seniors will take either the SAT School Day or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). FCPS covers the cost for both exams. Seniors who do not register for the SAT will automatically be scheduled for the ASVAB, which provides a score report and helps identify potential career paths. More details about exam day schedules will be shared in the coming weeks.

News from the 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. Check out their weekly newsletter to learn more about Annandale's activities, clubs and sports programs. You can also visit their website, AHS Athletics Twitter or Instagram page. 

Purchase Your 'Atoms Pass' for 2025-2026! The Atoms Booster Club’s All-Season passes are back! The "Atoms Pass" provides you general admission access to all regular season home football, baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, and wrestling events. With more than nine sports showcased, you can save BIG with the all-season pass! Click here to purchase your 2025-26 Atoms Booster Pass!

Purchase a Red Card! Each fall, our sports programs sell a discount “Red Card” to raise money for their teams. The red cards include various discounts at local businesses including: Glory Days, Subways, Jet’s Pizza, Kilroy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jiffy Lube, and AHS Sports Camps. Red Cards are only $20 and can be used at any of the businesses through October 1, 2026. If you would like to purchase a Red Card, please reach out to a fall athlete or email Brandon Sutphin, Director of Student Activities.

News from the PTSA

Support the AHS PTSA Pantry! September is Hunger Action Month, and this fall the AHS PTSA Pantry is proud to celebrate seven years of supporting our school community. What began as a small initiative has grown into a vital resource for many Annandale families—and we couldn't do it without your help. There are many ways you can get involved and continue making a difference. Sign up to be a Food for Neighbors Red Bag donor—AHS is a proud partner and recipient of these generous collections five times a year. You can also volunteer as a driver to help with pick-ups from Food for Others, or lend a hand at one of our pantry distribution events. Want to donate items? Our Amazon Wishlist makes it easy to support from home by providing our most needed supplies. And if you prefer to give financially, we welcome contributions of any size. Every act of support helps ensure no Atom goes hungry. Join us in making a lasting impact this Hunger Action Month!

PTSA Membership for the 2025-26 School Year: The Annandale High School PTSA is committed to helping our students and community. Together, we sponsor many programs and activities for our students, parents, and staff, including teacher grants, community outreach events, AHS Food Pantry, All Night Grad Celebration, Senior Scholarships, and more! Please consider joining for the 2025-2026 school year by purchasing membership in our new store. Don't forget to sign your students up as well! For more information about the Annandale PTSA contact us at atoms.ahs.president@gmail.com. 

September 16 - PTSA Meeting: The first PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, September 16 beginning at 7pm 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 for the 2025-2026 school year by purchasing membership in our new store. For more information about the Annandale PTSA contact us at atoms.ahs.president@gmail.com.