Annandale Community Insider - December 21

Donate Gift Cards for AHS Staff

At events throughout the year, we recognize staff who go above and beyond with gift cards donated by community members at the beginning of the year. It has been a huge hit and I am requesting your help again since we are not permitted to use any kind of FCPS funds, local or otherwise, for this purpose. It is amazing how much a $5 or $10 gift card is appreciated. If you are so inclined, please feel free to drop them off at the main office or place them in the mail. Attention: Jen Buchanan. It can be for any business you want to support, in any amount. Nothing is too small.

Important Dates

December 22-January 2 - Winter Break (No School)
January 8 - IB Diploma Recognition Ceremony
January 10 - Saturday Academic Coaching
January 14 - Rising 9th Grade Open House
January 21 - Virginia Climate and Working Conditions Survey

January 8 - IB Diploma Recognition Ceremony, W4/Pride Time: Our 73 IB Graduates of 2025 will be returning on Thursday, January 8 during W4/Pride Time to share their post high school/college experiences as well as receive their IB certificates in the auditorium. Current IB diploma juniors and seniors as well as selected sophomores will be invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony in the IB office. Please be welcoming as graduates may visit teachers in the afternoon.

January 14 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6pm: On January 14 from 6:00–8:00pm, Annandale High School will welcome rising 9th grade students and their families for an Open House designed to showcase what high school at Annandale is all about. Throughout the evening, teachers will be in their classrooms to share information about our core and elective courses, and we will offer several short, optional sessions highlighting key programs and opportunities available to our students.

The goal is for students and parents to leave feeling excited about becoming Annandale Atoms and ready to complete the course request form when they meet with their middle school counselors. Breakout sessions will be offered on the following topics: Welcome to Annandale; Course Request 101; IB/MYP Program; Activities and Athletics; English for Speakers of Other Languages Program; Special Education Office; and Student Life.

January 21 - Virginia Climate and Working Conditions Survey: On Wednesday January 21, during W4, students will participate in the Virginia School Climate Survey. The purpose of the survey is to provide schools with information on school climate, safety, and working conditions in order to maintain a safe and orderly school environment conducive to learning. The survey measures student perceptions of school rules and discipline, teacher-student relationships, student engagement in school, and the extent of bullying and teasing at school. The survey is a component of the annual school safety audit which school divisions are required to submit to the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS). You may preview the questions asked in the student survey at this website. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please complete and return the opt out form to the main office by January 12.

Important Information

Winter Break Office Hours: The Annandale High School administrative offices will be open by appointment only from Monday, December 22 through Friday, January 2. Offices will re-open on Monday, January 5 at 7:00am.

Assignments Over Winter Break: We hope you are able to spend the holiday resting and rejuvenating in your favorite ways. In support of this, teachers will not assign homework, projects, or papers over breaks, and refrain from assigning any major assessments or project due dates on the first two days back. If you have questions regarding specific assignments in a particular class, we always encourage students and families to reach out directly to their teachers for clarification and information.

Prepare for Winter Weather: Winter weather is here! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS. FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.

Lightspeed Parent Portal Allows Parents to Manage Student Screen Time: FCPS has introduced new parent controls in the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help families manage screen time on FCPS-issued devices. Through the portal, parents can control their child's access to YouTube and pause web browsing during designated After-School Hours while students are off the FCPS network. These controls are active Monday - Friday from 3:30pm to 6:00am (even on student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday. They do not affect district filtering policies during the instructional day. Parents can register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal using the link provided in their weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email. For more information about the Parent Portal, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.

Awesome Atoms

Rising AVID Students Visit Annandale: Eighth graders from the AVID programs at Poe and Holmes Middle Schools recently visited Annandale High School to learn about the AVID program and what it offers at the high school level. They participated in a student panel, toured the building, and visited AVID classes. The visit provided incoming students with an opportunity to see the AVID program in action and connect with current Annandale AVID students. This is just one example of how the strong partnership between Annandale and its feeder middle schools helps prepare eighth graders for a successful transition to high school.

Annandale Teacher Published in Virginia Journal of Education: Lauren Paz Soldan, Spanish teacher and member of the Fairfax Education Association, was published in the December 2025 issue of the Virginia Journal of Education. Her cover story, "Advocacy is for All of Us! An Educator's Guide to Speaking Up," focuses on the importance of educator advocacy and provides concrete steps for teachers to get involved in education policy at local, state, and national levels. The article draws on Lauren's experiences as a teacher leader, including her service on Virginia's Advisory Board for Teacher Education and Licensure. Congratulations, Lauren!

Atoms Games Brings School Spirit and Community to Annandale: The Atoms Games wrapped up this month with incredible displays of school spirit and community engagement. Throughout the competition, W4 classes collected donations for the PTSA Pantry through Winning4Giving, participated in trivia challenges and spirit events, hunted for snowflakes hidden throughout the building, and transformed classroom doors with festive decorations for Deck the Doors.

The Deck the Doors competition showcased the creativity and teamwork of students as they decorated classroom doors according to their Nation's theme. Third place went to Neild's class with the Polar Express. Second place was awarded to Lucas's class for their Christmas Vacation door featuring Principal DeRose. First place went to Duran-Russell's class with the narwhal scene from Elf. The Overall Nation Winner was Nation 9 with their Holiday Music Theme, featuring each class door decorated as a different holiday song.

Nation 9 emerged as the overall Atoms Games champion! Congratulations to the W4 classes of Benitez Diaz, Caldere Mejias, Converse, Hardy, Ionita, Kelly, Layaly, Lisle, Meijer, Morris, Mullins, Paz Soldan, Rivadeneira, Romasco, Shumaker, Smith, and Zuniga. Thank you to everyone who participated and made this year's Atoms Games a success!

Opportunities

Learner's Permit Testing at Annandale: Are you 15 and a half years old (or older) and ready to start your driving journey? Annandale High School is offering the Virginia Learner’s Permit Test after school in Room 43 throughout the school year. Find out more here or reach out to Driver’s Ed Teachers, Lizzie McManus or Morgan Neild with questions.

Winter Break Olympics Camp: Calling all second through eighth graders! Winter Break Camp will again run from 8:30am-3:00pm, with drop off as early as 8:00am. Camp Runs December 22-23 at Poe Middle School and Dec 29-30 at Annandale High School. Sign up at: https://bit.ly/Winter25Camp.

Academic Support & Tutoring Opportunities

Need Help in Your Class? Stay After School With Your Teacher: 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.

Retake Room is Up and Running! To support students in retaking assessments or making up missed assignments, the retake room is located in room 299 at the end of the Social Studies hall. Retakes are available on Late Bus Days after school, and every White Day during PRIDE Time. Students who would like to take advantage of the retake room must work with their teacher to sign up.

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.

Saturday Academic Coaching: Annandale teachers will be available on select Saturdays from 8:30am to 11:00am to support students in prioritizing their work, completing outstanding assignments, and facilitating assessment retakes. This is a focused, distraction-free window to get individualized help, improve grades, and stay on track. Academic Coaching sessions will be offered on January 10, January 24, February 28, March 14, April 18, May 2, 16, & 30, June 6, & 13. Reach out to Cass Hersh with questions.

Academic Advising for the 2026-2027 School Year

It is hard to believe, but we are already beginning to plan for the 2026-2027 school year. We wanted to provide an overview of how we are supporting students with the course selection process. Note: Access all the information needed for course selection can be found on our Academic Advising page, which has the grade level information presented by counselors.

December 1, 3, 9 - Grade Level Academic Advising Presentations: Our counselors have recently presented information to students about the course selection and academic planning processes. This included reminders about graduation requirements, outlining course sequencing and options, and providing information about the course selection process. 

January 14 - Course & Electives Fair: Students will visit information sessions on three courses of their choosing during our Course & Elective Fair. Our electives and IB teachers will provide a 15 minute overview of the course to help students make informed decisions about their course selections for next year. 

January 16 - Course Selection Day: Students in grades 9-11 will select their courses for the 2025-2026 school year during W4 using a Google Form. This will help prepare students for their individual academic advising conversations with their counselors. Students will only be able to submit the form once and a copy will be emailed to their student email account. All students must have selected courses by February 28. 

January 20 - February 28 - Individual Academic Advising Meetings: Students will meet one-on-one with their counselors to finalize their course selections for next year. Students will be given specific appointment times through their English classes. Students will receive their appointment times via email. We will begin with current juniors on January 20 and will conclude with current freshmen in February. 

News from Students Services

2026-27 FAFSA Form Now Open! Federal Student Aid has released the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Any college-bound high school senior — regardless of income — who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs should complete a FAFSA form. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to work with their students to complete the FAFSA as early as possible. Check each college’s financial aid office website for deadlines and financial aid forms. Then, create an account if you have not already done so, and fill out the FAFSA.

The Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application has not yet opened, but should be available in late January for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA. To help determine which aid option is right for you, visit the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia website. 

Get Help Filling Out the FAFSA: Over the next few months, College Access Fairfax will offer several programs on completing the FAFSA/VASA and finding and applying for scholarships. Get information on these programs and how to access them on the College Access Fairfax website. College Access Fairfax staff are available for virtual one-on-one help sessions to help complete the FAFSA/VASA. To request an appointment, families should email appointments@CollegeAccessFairfax.org.

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 January 15, the Transcript Request Form is due on December 15. 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 AHS Student Services Website .

Thursday College Application Workshops: Every Thursday from 3:00-4:00pm in Trailer 14, 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.

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.

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!

Annandale Baseball Winter Skills Camps: The Annandale Baseball Program will once again host winter camps this January and February on Sundays in our main and auxiliary gyms. There will be five total camp sessions this year, with updated pricing of $25 per session or $100 for all five. The January 18 and 25 sessions will focus on throwing and defensive skills, while the February 1, 8, and 15 sessions will emphasize hitting fundamentals and mechanics. Online registration is available through the Winter Camps registration link, and online payment can be made using the Pay for Baseball Camp Online option. Payment will also be accepted at the door via cash or checks made payable to “Atoms Boosters.”

News from the PTSA

Stock Our Shelves: Help Us Reach $20,000! This fall marks seven years of the AHS PTSA Pantry supporting Annandale families—and it’s all thanks to our generous community. What began as a small initiative has grown into a vital resource for students facing food insecurity.

Through our Stock Our Shelves (SOS) Fundraising Campaign we’ve already met our first $10,000 milestone—but we’re not stopping there. Let’s double our impact and raise $20,000 to keep shelves stocked and students nourished through the end of the school year. 100% of donations go directly to the pantry. Help us continue this essential work! 👉 bit.ly/AhsPtsaPantrySOS

In addition, there are many ways you can make a difference:

• Become a Red Bag donor through our partnership with Food for Neighbors. Annandale is a proud recipient of these generous collections five times a year.
• Volunteer your time as a driver to help with pick-ups from Food for Others or lend a hand at our distribution events.
• Donate items through our Amazon Wishlist, where you can easily provide our most needed supplies.
• Give financially—every contribution, no matter the size, directly supports students and families who are food insecure.

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.