by Ziv Golan ’26

In the age of social media, the way in which official school-related messaging is disseminated has changed drastically. Instagram is now arguably the largest source of information for students around Sherwood, and in high schools across the country, in regard to school news in general. Official MCPS messaging related to school closures is posted on the platform. Nearly every school club and sports team has an account where they post regular updates about when meetings are and how to sign up for events. The platform is truly a one-stop shop for updates on the ongoings of the school community.

“Students will tell me they didn’t see a message I sent to them through Group Me or Remind, but they got the information through my Instagram story,” explained choir teacher Emily Chu, who has an active Instagram account where she posts updates regarding the music department. “It helps with communication and with promoting what we are doing here.”

School accounts post both updates about what’s going on in the building, but also fun engaging content that can pique student interest. Social studies teacher Rob Hiller frequently posts trivia facts related to U.S. history on the official social studies Instagram page. His “this day in history” content in particular has gained attention as an interesting way to better inform students on historical topics.

“I do think Instagram is a good way to connect with the students because so many are using it. I try to keep the content to history-related information because that’s mainly what I teach,” said Hiller. “I sometimes sprinkle in other social studies contents, like personal finance, but U.S. history consumes most of my brain and the content. I also will share things from other school pages when I can. Fundraisers, school events, and celebrations.”

School-affiliated accounts run by students tend to have somewhat stricter guidelines on what can be posted than those run by staff, although there are still no official rules. “If we’re posting something simple like a reminder about something coming up then it doesn’t have to be approved necessarily,” said senior Stephanie Rinelli, who runs the main Sherwood SGA page.  “But if it’s something like a flyer for an event that is being held, then it needs to be approved to make sure all the information is accurate.” .
In addition to official school-sanctioned accounts, there also exist accounts run by Sherwood students that post information related to the school but are not officially associated with Sherwood. The ‘warriorsection26’ account, for example, posts information regarding themes for sports games, along with when non-school sanctioned events, such as senior skip day, are taking place. The existence of such accounts creates a blurred line between what is representative of the school and what is not. Social media is distinct from other platforms used by school systems in that it is difficult to monitor content.

“Accounts are monitored. Anyone can start an account but when posting items on behalf of Sherwood HS or MCPS, those accounts are closely monitored and if inappropriate things are posted/written, the police will inform the school system,” said Principal Tim Britton. Although there is an effort to monitor accounts, it is difficult to track every social media account when essentially anyone can create one.

The question of whether or not schools and school systems should be represented on social media has already been answered by default, and in the new digital age it is tough to maintain relevance as an institution without a social media presence. Sherwood, and MCPS, will have to keep walking the fine line between keeping up a healthy online presence while also ensuring that any information going out is both accurate and represents the community well.