Annandale Students, Parents, and Community,

As we enter the month of May, there is a noticeable energy across our building. This time of year brings excitement about what lies ahead, along with some anxiety and a fast paced schedule filled with exams, performances, celebrations, and important milestones. At Annandale, we are here to support you every step of the way. Our focus remains on ensuring every student feels prepared, supported, and confident as they finish the year strong.

With that in mind, IB Testing is off to a strong start. In the weeks leading up to testing, we hosted targeted review sessions in IB Business, Physics, and Environmental Systems, providing students with additional practice, support, and strategies for success. This past weekend, we hosted IB Geography and we will continue to offer Super Saturday sessions next week to help students prepare for the IB Math and Biology Exam. In addition, this weekend, more than 235 students attended Super Saturday to prepare for the Math SOL. We will continue to hold Super Saturday events on May 9 and 16. Students who are testing will receive personalized invitations to their sessions.

With this level of preparation and support in place, we are ready for SOL testing, which begins this Wednesday and will take place on May 6, 13, and 20. These End-of-Course assessments measure student growth and are required for earning verified credits toward graduation. Each testing day will begin with a structured morning block. Students who are testing will report directly to their assigned locations, while students who are not testing will participate in teacher-led learning, including targeted remediation, academic coaching, and support for IB, AP, and SOL preparation. All students will attend afternoon classes following the regular bell schedule.

Finally, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, an opportunity for us to recognize the incredible work of our staff. Every day, our teachers demonstrate a deep commitment to building relationships, delivering high quality instruction, and collaborating to support our students and families. With the support of the Annandale PTSA, Leadership Class, and Student Services team, we have planned a series of events to celebrate and thank our staff. Please consider helping out with breakfast, or purchasing a gift card to recognize our staff. See below for more ways you can join us in showing appreciation for our outstanding teachers.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

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.

Donate or Volunteer for Teacher Appreciation Breakfast: There are not enough words to express our appreciation for the (endless) hours that Annandale teachers spend with our kids, so we attempt to express it with FOOD! The PTSA and the Culinary Arts Department will provide teachers a hot breakfast on Friday, May 8, but we need help with other items to round out the menu and make the event a success. Please sign up to help here! Contact Angela Torres with questions.

Now through 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

May 4-8 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 5 - Guitar Concert, 7pm
May 6 - PTSA Pantry Distribution, 3:30pm
May 7 - Orchestra Concert, 7pm
May 9 - Super Saturday: Reading, AP Seminar, IB Math & Biology
May 9 - Prom, 8-11pm
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
May 20 - PTSA Pantry Distribution, 3:30pm
May 21-22 - Broadway Desserts, 7pm
May 25-27 - Memorial & Eid Holiday (No School)
May 28 - Senior Exams Begin
May 28 - Rising 9th Grade Activities Athletics Fair

May 4-8 - Teacher Appreciation Week. Seeking $5-$10 Gift Card Donations: This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. As a gesture of our appreciation of all the hard work and flexibility our teachers have demonstrated this year, we would like to offer a small gift to teachers. We are asking that you please donate $5-$10 gift cards, to any establishment of your choice. 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 are doing this year.

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 the concert. 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 9 - 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 9 - Reading, AP Seminar, IB Math & Biology
• May 16 - Science

Awesome Atoms

Bravo, Annandale Theatre Company! The Annandale Theatre Company brought Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life last week with a series of outstanding performances. Student actors delivered a memorable production filled with humor, romance, and a touch of magic, showcasing their talent and dedication on stage. Thank you to our families, staff, and community members who came out to support the arts at Annandale and celebrate the hard work of our theatre program.

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 16, & 30, June 6, & 13. Reach out to Cass Hersh with questions.

Important Information

Participate in Virginia’s Thank A Teacher Campaign: Take a moment to celebrate the educators who make a difference every day. Send a digital Thank a Teacher note and help your favorite Annandale teacher get recognized during Teacher Appreciation Week. Each note gives them a chance to win $2,500 plus $2,500 in school supplies, and winners will be surprised right at their school. Submit your message of appreciation by May 8 and help us show our teachers how much they mean to our community!

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

Free Prom Dresses and Suits at Promise: Do you need a dress or suit for Prom? Do you know someone that might need one? We got you! Prom is this Friday and Annandale’s premiere prom fashion shop has you covered. Promise offers gently used, yet stylish dresses, suits, shoes, clutches and accessories for you to wear to prom – and to keep! Check out our updated inventory that offers a style for everyone’s taste. For further information reach out to Mr. Henceroth or visit him in room 210. We "Promise" Annandale Prom 2026 will be a night to remember!

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/

Yearbooks On Sale Now! The yearbook is on sale and at our lowest price! Don’t let the memories fly by! This year, our yearbook is capturing the moment permanently for students and families for years to come! Preorder at yearbookforever.com.This is currently the lowest price that is offered ($95). It is highly recommended to preorder our yearbook as prices will increase for in-person sales and supplies will be limited! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Vera.

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.

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