The A-Blast takes a look back at the ups and downs of the past year. Here are a few of the positive things  from the past year:

1. New principal Tim Thomas:

As previous Principal Randazzo left, the new principal, Tim Thomas has filled in his spot. He quickly became quite popular among students.

2. SIS PARENTVUE grading system:

Teachers are able to update the system as soon as they grade an assignment. You can easily see your grades on line, but your parents can also see it too.

3. Sadie Hawkins Kicks Off:

In this new dance, girls were encouraged to ask boys dance instead of the other way around. Although not as popular as homecoming, students were able to have another formal dance to enjoy.

4. New turf field for better games:

Though expensive, the turf field offers a better alternative than the grass field. The turf can drain easier and last through most types of weather.

5. More art murals make the walls look better:

New art murals were added in the math hallway and near the cafeteria which has improved Annandale’s look.

6. Girls Lacrosse Dominates Patriot Conference:

The Lady Atoms were able to  beat schools like Woodson and South County, who were favorites to win the Conference Championship. However, through great strength and teamwork, girls lacrosse  was very successful.

Annandale has  had a great year with a lot of popular events and new things that made the year better. However, there were still some bad pitfalls that made the year a little harder, but it was not enough to bring down the Atoms.

1. Pride Time leaves students spending time on phone:

Most students do not get requested for Pride Time, so they spend most of the period on their devices and waste their time. The strictness of the pass system does not allow students to leave to other classrooms without a pass and forces students to stay in their rooms.

2. Students behind on MYP:

The Middle Years Program has been a staple in all English classes, but with a shift to online assignments students spent procrastinated.

3. Old teachers are leaving, but new teachers are arriving:

It is sad to see teachers who have been here a long time leaving, but they have left a lasting legacy for us to love.  There is excitement for the new teachers who will come to replace them because they will leave their own lasting impressions.

4. Battle of the Classes low in attendance:

Students were encouraged to bring in bottle caps to get into Battle of the Classes. Although the bottle caps were for a good cause, it was still hard to bring in support.

5.Students coming home later:

Last year, school began at 7:20 a.m.  and ended at 2:05 p.m. However, last year the school board ruled to have this changed to 8:10 a.m. and end at 2:55 p.m. 

Students wake up later, but they have to come home later as well, which is especially hard for students inolved in sports.

6. Put your phone down:

Despite being a yellow zone, students continue to use their phones in the hallways, and don’t pay attention to what is around them.

With all of these new changes, Annandale has evolved to become better. The 2015-2016 school year has been quite successful for students and faculty members, and hopefully this will continue in the coming years.