Annandale Students, Parents, and Community,

This weekend, our award winning Annandale Theatre Company brought their production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream to the stage. With its blend of tangled relationships, humor, and a touch of magic, our student performers kept the audience engaged from beginning to end and ultimately brought them to their feet. Behind the scenes, the crew created an setting that brought the enchanted forest to life. Congratulations to everyone involved on an amazing performance. There are several more chances to experience our performing arts programs this May, so be sure to check out the dates below.

This week brings more opportunities to watch our students shine. On Thursday, April 30 at 6:00pm, we will host Autism Acceptance Night as we come together to support our Varsity Baseball Team and celebrate as a community. We’re also honored to welcome special guests Ana Fuentes-Zegarra, Terrance Powell, and Isac Machado-Fuentes from the CAT B department who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Looking ahead, IB testing begins this week, and next week marks the official start of SOL testing season. As part of our preparation efforts, we hosted test prep sessions for IB Business, Physics and Environmental Systems, where students received targeted practice, support, and strategies to help them succeed. Thank you to our teachers for providing this support and to our students and families for prioritizing attendance. We will continue offering Super Saturday sessions on May 2, 9, and 16 to ensure all students feel confident and prepared. See below for each subject’s review date.

Finally, we have an important opportunity for families to get involved. With the start of IB exams this week, we are seeking volunteers to help proctor during testing. Our volunteer proctors help us ensure our teachers can remain in the classroom, where they are needed to continue supporting student learning. No special training is required. If you are able to help, please sign up here. Reach out to Linda Bradshaw with any questions.

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

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Parent Volunteers and Donations Needed! 

The final few months of the school year include several important events and opportunities to support Annandale High School through donations or volunteering. Community involvement helps make these events possible and strengthens the experiences we provide for students. Thank you for considering how you may be able to contribute. Detailed opportunities are listed below.

Show your Appreciation for AHS Teachers and Staff - Donate Today! As we approach the end of the school year, Teacher Appreciation Week is our chance to say "thank you" to the incredible teachers and staff at AHS who work tirelessly to support our students.  Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8 and the PTSA has planned a week filled with fun activities and surprises!  With nearly 300 teachers and staff at AHS, we are seeking donations to help cover the cost of these activities. Any amount you are able to donate is truly appreciated! Donations to the AHS PTSA are tax-deductible. Click here to donate.

Seeking $5 Gift Card Donations: This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is from May 4-8. As a gesture of our appreciation for all their hard work, we would like to offer a small gift to teachers. We are asking that you please donate $5 gift cards, to any establishment of your choice, from now until May 1. If you are able to donate, please drop off gift cards to the Main Office or purchase gift cards via Amazon and have them shipped to Annandale High School. We appreciate your support in celebrating the amazing work our teachers do each and every day!

April 28-May 20 - Proctors Needed for IB Exams: Calling all Volunteers! The IB exams are starting soon and we are in need of help to proctor the exams. Volunteers are needed to walk around the testing room occasionally and sit/monitor students. No special training is needed ahead of time. Each testing room will have at least one experienced proctor that will be in charge of administering the test. We just need additional adult supervision. Volunteers must be 21 or older. Bring your driver’s license to check-in at the main office. Dress casually with comfortable shoes! If you are available to assist, please sign up here. Reach out to Linda Bradshaw with any questions.

May 9 - Prom Chaperones Needed: The Class of 2026 is seeking volunteers to chaperone Prom. Annandale’s prom is on Saturday, May 9 from 8pm - 11pm at the Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N Union St, Alexandria, VA 22314). This is a great time to dance and celebrate with the Class of 2026 in a beautiful location on the water in Old Town Alexandria! Please use this link to sign up to be a chaperone at the greatest event of the year! Email Erin Mahoney or Chase Cole with questions.

June 9 - Volunteers Needed for the All Night Grad Celebration: We also need volunteers to support the All Night Grad Celebration! Lets keep the legacy of this amazing event, providing a safe environment for our Seniors to celebrate their graduation. Sign up here to support the day of the event.

Important Dates

April 28 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
April 28 - IB Testing Begins
April 29 - BINGO! Night, 5:45pm
April 30 - Autism Acceptance Night, 6pm
May 1 - Senior Decision Day
May 2 - Saturday Academic Coaching
May 2 - Super Saturday: Math & IB Geography
May 2 - PTSA Community Yard Sale & Market
May 4-8 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 5 - Guitar Concert, 7pm
May 6 - PTSA Pantry Distribution, 3:30pm
May 7 - Orchestra Concert, 7pm
May 8 - Prom, 8-11pm
May 9 - Super Saturday: Reading, AP Seminar, IB Math & Biology
May 11-12 - Senior Survey
May 12 - Band Concert
May 14 - Senior Art Show, 6pm
May 16 - Student of the Month Celebration
May 16 - Saturday Academic Coaching
May 16 - Super Saturday: Science
May 19 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

April 29 - BINGO! Night Fundraiser for the Class of 2026: Join us for an exciting evening of games and prizes!  Wednesday, April 29 in the Cafeteria (Door 7). Doors will open at 5:45 pm, the first of 10 rounds will begin at 6:15 pm. Visit https://bit.ly/ahsbingo2026 to purchase game cards, raffle tickets and pizza in advance to receive Pre-Sale special pricing and discounted rates for AHS Students!  Concessions will be available for purchase at the event. We also need volunteers to support this event. Sign up here to donate concessions or volunteer. Sponsored and hosted by the Annandale High School PTSA, benefiting the Class of 2026.

April 30 - Autism Acceptance Night, 6pm: On Thursday, April 30 at 6:00pm, we will host Autism Acceptance Night as we come together to support our Varsity Baseball Team and celebrate as a community. We’re also honored to welcome special guests Ana Fuentes-Zegarra, Terrance Powell, and Isac Machado-Fuentes from the CAT B department who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

May 1 - Senior Decision Day: Annandale will celebrate National Decision Day on May 1. At this event, we will recognize our seniors and the different paths they will take after graduation, whether they have decided to attend a 4-year college, community college, join the military, workforce, or take a gap year. The celebration will be held during all lunch periods in the senior courtyard, where students can enjoy snacks, music, and take pictures with their peers. 

May 2 - PTSA Community Yard Sale & Market: Reserve a Vendor Space NOW! Join us on Saturday, May 2 from 9:00am-2:00pm in the Annandale High School front parking lot for a PTSA-hosted Community Yard Sale & Market! Whether you’re an artist, baker, crafter, or student entrepreneur, this is a great opportunity to showcase your work and connect with the community. Vendor spaces start at just $25 for a single spot, or $15 for FCPS students. Email AHSPTSAVPPrograms@gmail.com to reserve a space!

May 2 - Super Saturday Testing Prep: Super Saturday, a series of focused review sessions designed to help students prepare for upcoming SOL, IB, and AP assessments. These sessions are excellent opportunities to reinforce content, build confidence, and improve outcomes. Here are the dates of our upcoming sessions:

• May 2 -  Math & IB Geography
• May 9 - Reading, AP Seminar, IB Math & Biology
• May 16 - Science

May 2- Saturday Academic Coaching: Annandale teachers will be available on Saturday, May 2 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. Additional academic coaching sessions will be offered on May 2, 16, & 30, June 6, & 13. Reach out to Cass Hersh with questions.

May 5 - Guitar Concert, 7pm: The Annandale High School Guitar Ensembles will present a concert of solo and ensemble performances. We will be presenting a Trans-Atlantic program with music from Spain and the USA. Please come out and enjoy an evening of guitar music and support your Annandale HS guitar program.

May 7 - Orchestra Concert and End of Year Banquet: Orchestra is set to end the year with our Spring Concert at 6pm and Banquet following on May 8. We are excited to welcome Grammy nominated artist Christylez Bacon as our 2026 Artists-in-Residence, who is a Washington, DC–based Grammy-nominated musician, beatboxer, composer, and educator known for blending hip hop with jazz, classical, and go-go traditions while empowering students to find their own authentic musical voice. We are proud to showcase our graduating Seniors alongside our guests during the concert. All banquet attendees (family and friends included!) must RSVP here by Monday, April 27 in order to attend. Come celebrate the end of an incredible year of music making!

May 21 & 22 - Broadway Desserts, 7pm: Broadway Desserts will feature all five of the AHS Choirs performing songs from the stage and is a Broadway Review of sorts. Both group and individual acts will be featured from auditions held earlier in the semester. The students prepare the music, pick their costumes, and coordinate their choreography for a fantastic evening of entertainment. Please join us on either Thursday, May 21 or Friday, May 22 at 7:00pm in Watson Auditorium! Get your tickets here!

Awesome Atoms

Annandale HS Guitar Gets Superior Rating! Several students from Annandale High School’s Guitar Program went to Lake Braddock Secondary to perform for District Assessment. They performed two pieces, Take Me Home, Country Roads and Hotel California. All three judges gave them the highest score of Superior.

Academic Support & Tutoring Opportunities

Kaplan PSAT & SAT Prep Access: All students in grades 9-11 now have access to Kaplan online PSAT and SAT preparation resources. Students should log in at https://tinyurl.com/FCPSKaplan using their FCPS username and password. Access will remain active through October 31, allowing students to prepare for multiple SAT administrations as well as the October PSAT.

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.

Need to Make Up a Test? Sign Up for the Retake Room! 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 May 2, 16, & 30, June 6, & 13. Reach out to Cass Hersh with questions.

Important Information

Student Acceptable Use Policy Update: The Department of Information Technology has identified an increase in students using proxy services to bypass school network filters, which violates the Student Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and impacts network security. In response, enhanced monitoring is now in place to better identify these activities. In the event of a violationThe school will receive notifications from the IT Security Office when a student is identified. Each incident will be reviewed, and appropriate disciplinary action will be applied. Students with repeated violations (3 or more) will require additional follow-up.

Opportunities

Mason Arts 250 Poetry Contest: As part of the Mason District Arts Council’s “Mason Arts 250” celebration honoring the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a poetry contest is now open to both students and adults, inviting original submissions of up to 30 lines and offering an accessible opportunity for writers of all experience levels; winners will receive a small award and may be invited to perform their work at several Mason Arts 250 events taking place in June. Learn more and submit at: https://masondistrictpoetry.org/

All Night Grad Tickets On Sale Now! Tickets are now on sale for this year’s All Night Grad Celebration, a long-standing Annandale High School tradition made possible by the Annandale High School PTSA and the parent community. This safe, fun, and adult-supervised event is entirely volunteer-run and provides seniors with a memorable way to celebrate together.

The All Night Grad Celebration will take place on June 9, beginning at 11:00 PM, with doors closing at midnight. Tickets are available for $55 but will increase to $65 soon. Students can look forward to great food, games, a DJ, top-notch entertainment, and exciting door prizes, including computers and televisions.

Discounted tickets are available for students in need, and interested students are encouraged to speak with their school counselor for more information. Parent volunteers are also essential to the success of this event, and families are encouraged to sign up to help if they are able. Email Annandale.angc@gmail.com with any questions.

May 2 - PTSA Community Yard Sale & Market: Reserve a Vendor Space NOW! Join us on Saturday, May 2 from 9:00am-2:00pm in the Annandale High School front parking lot for a PTSA-hosted Community Yard Sale & Market! Whether you’re an artist, baker, crafter, or student entrepreneur, this is a great opportunity to showcase your work and connect with the community. Vendor spaces start at just $25 for a single spot, or $15 for FCPS students. Email AHSPTSAVPPrograms@gmail.com to reserve a space!

News from Students Services

Longwood EPF Dual Enrollment - Fall 2026: Longwood University will offer Economics & Personal Finance (EPF) Dual Enrollment (DE) for the Fall 2026 semester. This option will transfer back to satisfy the Economics and Personal Finance graduation requirement and will come with a 1.0 GPA bump for a Dual Enrollment Course. The fee is $62.50. This is open to all rising juniors and seniors, and to select students in grades 9 & 10 who meet certain GPA and math readiness requirements. Longwood asks that interested students complete this interest form using a personal email address. The official registration opens in July. Students who register will also need to complete this request form prior to the start of the course in order to have the credit transferred back to FCPS. For more information, please contact your student’s counselor or Erin Crowley.

Earn Credit Toward Graduation This Summer: Take advantage of the opportunity to earn a high school course credit via this summer’s Online Campus program. Registration is now open. Students must register by Friday, June 5. Mathematics, health and physical education, career and technical education, English, science, social studies, and world language courses are available to eligible middle and high school students. For more information, visit this Summer Learning page.

Summer is also an excellent time for high school students to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance graduation requirement through the self-directed course option. In this format, students work independently to complete all course requirements while maintaining flexibility over the summer months. For additional details and registration information, please visit the Summer Learning information page.

Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Camps: Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30am to 2:00pm. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.

CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open for these programs through Friday, June 5.

Institute for the Arts (IFTA) is a two-week camp for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 60 classes in art, dance, music, and theater. Rising freshmen have the option to take Health and PE 9 through IFTA as well!

Production Camp is a four-week summer theatre intensive for students in grades 6-11. Students in performance or technical theatre tracks rehearse, design, and build a musical in a collaborative atmosphere. The show is presented to the public at the end of camp.

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.