by Whitney Marie Halaby ’14 and Joy Zhang ’14

With the school’s course registration bulletin for the 2012-13 school year soon to be finalized, Sherwood intends to continue to have academies. Two years ago, students then in 9th grade had to choose an academy as a course of study. However, the school almost immediately eased that requirement and the choice to enter an academy became voluntary.

Judy Reiff, the school’s Academies Coordinator, estimates that 300 students currently are enrolled in courses offered in the academies. The Computer Science and Engineering academy has the most students, due in part to it fulfilling graduation requirements. The other four academies are Business and Hospitality, Environmental and Horticultural Science, Health Professions, and Teacher Education. As of now, these same five academies will be the offerings for the next school year.

The ongoing aim is to make sure students are aware of the option to enter an academy. In October, students in 10th and 11th grade received a survey in their English classes that asked, among other things, whether students were enrolled in an Academy pathway. The survey also gathered data for MCPS Central Office.

“The students are the stakeholders. If they don’t know a program exists, they can’t take it, and they could miss out on something in which they would love to participate,” said Reiff.