‘Real Food’ Not a Viable Option for Montgomery County Schools

By Bridget Cook ‘14 Recently, a parent group called “Real Food for Kids—Montgomery” has been in the news for their aim to nutritionally improve school lunches. The group, while focusing mainly on the nutritional value of the a la carte snacks offered, was created to voice disappointment with school lunch offerings overall and work to change meal choices. On the … Read More

New Assistant Principal To Shadow Gregory Next Year

By Meagan Barrett ‘15 James Allrich will be Sherwood’s new assistant principal next year, replacing Terry Heintze who will serve as an assistant principal at Walter Johnson. Allrich is currently an assistant principal at White Oak Middle School and previously at Springbrook High School. Sandi Williams, Sherwood’s current alternative programs teacher, is now the Assistant School Administrator and is replacing … Read More

How To Make the Most of Summer

Staff Editorial Summer is the longest break from school for students; 72 days without any teachers, tests or homework. Although reading and optional math packets are passed out at the end of the school year, the time spent studying and preparing for these are largely nonexistent for many students. Many in fact feel that time spent doing other academic activities … Read More

Construction of Olney Springs Housing Development Continues Despite Concerns

by Mandy Stussman ’14 Construction of the Olney Springs development began a few months ago, marking the official beginning of a large project that has generated significant debate among nearby residents. What makes this particular development unique is the fact that it will be a combination of Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), workforce housing and market-value housing. “We feel that … Read More

Should the Plan-B Pill Be Made Available to Younger Girls? Pro/Con

On April 30, the FDA lowered the age restriction to purchase emergency contraception from 17 to 15-years-old. The following day, a U.S. judge ordered to make the pill available to people of all ages. The Obama administration seeks to block the judge’s order, which will not affect the FDA’s earlier decision. The decision to lower or eliminate age restrictions for … Read More

Take Back Political Power and Influence from Lobbyists

by Will Van Gelder ’16 Recently this country has seen an upswing in the power of partisan lobbies, most specifically with the National Rifle Association (NRA).  The NRA has been in the news a lot because of its vehement opposition to any type of gun control law the Senate and House propose.  Pictures of Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President … Read More

Let’s All Skip Saying The Pledge of Allegiance

by Vicky Florian ’14 A class of 30 kindergarteners chants monotonously in unison as they stare at a flag in the front of the class. Not a single child knows the definitions of all the words he or she is speaking. Not a single child knows whether or not he or she agrees with the message of those words, yet … Read More

Tenure Works Too Well

by Meagan Barrett ’15 These last few days of school are the last time many students at Sherwood will see some of their favorite teachers. The reason for this is simple: Tenure. If a position in a school’s funding is cut, it would seem only logical that a teacher with less ability to engage students and to foster academic achievement … Read More

Baseball Dugout Redesigned

By Vicky Florian ‘14 The current baseball dugout is being completely remodeled to better meet the needs of the players and staff. While the existing dugout is a simple concrete block with a flat roof, the new design includes a snack bar as well as a media booth. There will be a storage area within the new structure for use … Read More

Poor Math Exam Results Confound

By Bridget Cook ‘14 As shocking data first reported on April 30 revealed, failure rates in MCPS on math final exams for the first semester were 61 percent for Algebra 1, 62 percent for Geometry, 57 percent for Algebra 2 and 48 percent for Precalculus. After multiple articles appeared on the high failure rate in the Washington Post and The … Read More