The A-Blast

28/11/2023

So proud of Annandale journalism!

High school reporters aim to save the news business with solutions-oriented journalism.

14/07/2023

For Mr. Weintraut's birthday, we are again asking for support of The A-Blast media program. Any funds you contribute will help send low-income students to journalism camps and national conventions. Last year we raised $2700, sent 6 students to a national convention and 3 to our summer journalism camp. Our school's poverty rate is around 70% now, and many of our journalism students are low-income. You can click on the link below and scroll down to "donate to The A-Blast." You can contribute as a guest without setting up an account, and you will get an emailed receipt for your taxes. If it asks, the state is Virginia & school district is Fairfax County Public Schools. We will send you a nice note and a subscription to the newspaper. Thank you!

https://annandalehs.fcps.edu/index.php/student-life-and-activities/student-publications?fbclid=IwAR0kEAAkUsELMhWjiJtdg9EESip6Ye1p8qn34QKJueetIuvvklE02sADix4

The A-Blast is the Annandale High School online school newspaper. The sponsor of The A-Blast is Alan Weintraut, who can be reached at . View the most recent edition Submit a letter to the A-Blast Advertise with us The School Yearbook sponsor is Julia Hanneman. She can be reached at . Don...

01/12/2022

Check out the Principal's response to an editorial critical of the new grading policy:

As principal, it is important that I stay informed about issues that are top of mind among our students, our families, and our community. And right now, it seems that high school grading practices are in the spotlight. In fact, grading practices across FCPS have been all over the news lately. Over t...

17/05/2022

Read about this years All Night Grad Party here: https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2022/04/27/ptsa-brings-back-all-night-grad-celebration-for-seniors/

The All Night Grad Celebration, an annual senior tradition, has finally returned. All Night Grad is an event that typically takes place the night of graduation where students participate in a variety of activities like massage therapy, getting their faces drawn by a caricature artist, swimming the p...

30/03/2022

Read about the celebration of the variety of cultures here at AHS here: https://www.thea-blast.org/international/2022/03/30/cultural-differences-celebrated/

AHS is one of the most diverse schools in the entire county with over 74 countries represented and over 55 languages spoken. Students at AHS had the chance to display their cultural clothing during Heritage night. Heritage Night is a most popular event where students were able to showcase their heri...

24/03/2022

Former principal leaves a spirit of compassion, touches many
https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2022/03/24/former-principal-leaves-a-spirit-of-compassion-touches-many/

Editor’s note: background information for this story was written by the Clausen family. Photo gallery below. A beloved figure and the namesake of Clausen Hall, former AHS principal Donald Clausen died on March 21 from a Glioblastoma (brain tumor). He was the school’s fourth principal, and he ser...

10/03/2022

Read about the Special Olympics Tournament here: https://www.thea-blast.org/uncategorized/2022/02/27/special-olympics-tournament-is-a-success/

The Special Olympics team has made a strong return this year despite Covid-19. The team, led by special education teacher Jae Lee, has hosted multiple events throughout the school year. Last Saturday, Feb. 26, the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament was hosted at AHS. The athletes faced off again...

08/03/2022

Read a students review on a restaurant here: https://www.thea-blast.org/top-stories/2022/03/01/food-review-kabobistan/

Kabobistan is a Family owned restaurant with two chains. They sell kebabs and combos that come with two choices of meat, chickpeas, rice, a salad, and a single piece of flatbread. I purchased the A1 boneless chicken breast and the chicken itself was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The flatbread also....

23/02/2022

Read about field hockey coach Cindy Hook's departure from AHS after 43 years here: https://www.thea-blast.org/top-stories/2022/02/23/cindy-hook-leaving-her-legacy/

After 43 years full of victory, defeat and field hockey fun, AHS field hockey coach Cindy Hook is retiring. As one of only three field hockey coaches AHS has had since the program started in 1954, Hook has surely left her mark. “‘I’ve decided to retire from coaching field hockey because it jus...

02/02/2022

Read about how the class of 2022 is preparing for prom here: https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2022/01/27/senior-class-prepares-for-prom/

This year’s Prom date and location has finally been announced as we get closer and closer to the spring. Prom will be held at the Torpedo Factory on May 20. Typically the annual dance is held on a Saturday, but this year’s date lands on a Friday. The reasoning for the late Prom date was...

02/02/2022

Read about how class of 2022 is preparing for prom here: https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2022/01/27/senior-class-prepares-for-prom/

This year’s Prom date and location has finally been announced as we get closer and closer to the spring. Prom will be held at the Torpedo Factory on May 20. Typically the annual dance is held on a Saturday, but this year’s date lands on a Friday. The reasoning for the late Prom date was...

27/01/2022

Read about the teachers who were recognized for the FCPS honors awards here: https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2022/01/26/fcps-honors-outstanding-staff-members/

AHS recently announced the school level winners of FCPS’s Outstanding Staff Awards. Five staff members from AHS were chosen from a pool of nominees. ESOL teacher Tricia Kapuscinski won Outstanding Teacher. Math teacher Allyson Pak won Outstanding New Teacher. Social studies teacher and tech specia...

06/12/2021

Read about Library censorships here: https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2021/12/01/libraries-overcome-censorship/

Two books have recently been put back into FCPS libraries after being temporarily removed. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison and Gender Q***r: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe were put under review after parents complained that the books had sexually explicit content and references to pedophelia. “The decision r...

01/12/2021

Read about the food pantry celebrating its third year here: https://www.thea-blast.org/news/2021/12/01/food-pantry-celebrates-third-year/

The AHS food pantry is celebrating its third year serving the AHS community. The pantry’s food distribution model has changed since its opening to better meet the needs of the students and community. “We launched in October 2018 with an idea and by November, we had started filling shelves, one c...

18/11/2021

Read about the Spider-Man movie trailer here: https://www.thea-blast.org/top-stories/2021/11/18/spider-man-no-way-home-explained/

We’ve struck gold! Marvel and Sony Pictures released the second trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home and it’s awesome. Marvel and Sony Pictures revealed the trailer at a fan event with actor Tom Holland there to give new information on the film. Jon Watts is returning to direct Spider-Man: No Way...

15/11/2021

Read here for a story in Spanish translation: https://www.thea-blast.org/spanish-translations/2021/11/09/humanos-de-annandale-senora-sofia-ramirez-custodiana/

¿Cuál es su país de herencia? “Yo soy de San Miguel, El Salvador.” ¿De qué manera contribuyes a la comunidad hispana? “Soy madre adoptiva. Tengo tres niños, los cuales yo crié como propios. Cuido a niños que son abandonados en la frontera. Actualmente, mi última está en el grado 11. ...

10/11/2021

Read about the effects of video games on students performance in school here: https://www.thea-blast.org/top-stories/2021/11/10/do-video-games-interfere-with-school/