New Superintendent Faces Challenges

by Audrey Farris ‘25 and Seph Fischer ‘25 Thomas Taylor, appointed school superintendent on June 25, faces a daunting task. He became the leader of MCPS at a time when the nationally known school district was in crisis following the departure of former Superintendent Monifa McKnight amidst a litany of controversy over her handling of the sexual harassment allegations against … Read More

Student Trips Make an Exciting Comeback

by Rachel Themistokleous ‘26 Music teacher Emily Chu is bringing back student travel trips, with one to Disney World and one to Ireland. Many years ago, Sherwood was known for these opportunities when it had an “International Studies” signature program. More recently, recently retired French teacher John Falls honored this tradition by taking students to France, and now with Chu … Read More

MCPS Implements New Hate/Bias Response

by Katie Ng ‘25 MCPS has introduced new procedures for reporting and responding to hate-bias incidents, which MCPS considers as “any disruptive conduct (oral, written, graphic, physical, or electronic communication) that includes intentional discriminatory behavior based on personal characteristics.” MCPS will now respond to hate-bias incidents using a tiered system that consists of three levels based on intent, impact on … Read More

MD Requires ELA Proficiency Test for Third Grade

by Lilly Mains ‘25 Maryland is poised to join more than 25 states that require third graders to demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing skills to advance to the fourth grade. Third graders who are not deemed as on track for reading at a fourth-grade level will be held back one year. This is a part of Maryland’s aggressive new … Read More

TikTok Sued for Mental Health Damage to Teens

by Josh Pulaski ‘25 TikTok is being sued by 13 different states plus DC under the claims that TikTok’s core design is constructed in such a way as to addict young children and teens deliberately. The states’ attorney generals allege that the TikTok company has been untruthful about the risks of the app to the public. TikTok has claimed that … Read More

MCPS Plans on Enhancing Security Measures

by Laurika Pich ‘27 As the first quarter of the school year comes to an end, MCPS school leaders are continuing to explore new security measures and policies in response to increasing safety concerns. Incidents have occurred in recent years, including bomb threats, student arrests for bringing guns to school, and altercations at football games. The recent high school shooting … Read More

Community Grieves Death of Student

On October 2, the Sherwood community was shaken by a car accident which took the life of senior Sanaa Vil and injured two other students. Sanaa was a star basketball player and active member of the Black Student Union, beloved by students and teachers alike. This terrible tragedy was recognized by the school with a moment of silence held during … Read More

Bathrooms Remain Open

by Shannon Naas ’26 To avoid a repeat of last school year when there were often closures of bathrooms during the school year, the administration is taking steps to prevent the school from having to lock bathrooms because of student misbehavior. The measures include closing bathrooms at certain times of the school day, as well as more frequently monitoring the … Read More

AP Exams To Go Fully Digital

by Nisha Khatri ‘26 An increasing number of AP exams are being moved to the Bluebook digital testing application. College Board states that the new format is user-friendly, improving the focus of students and enabling them to write faster. AP exams at Sherwood that will be digital in May 2025 include AP Comparative Gov, AP Environmental, AP Human Geo, AP … Read More

Student-made App Offers Students Way To Voice Concerns

by Zach Geller ‘25 Closed bathrooms are no strange sight to Sherwood students, but rounding the corner at the start of the 2024-25 year, a team of student software developers is making an app to counteract issues like these, enabling students to report school-wide issues across MCPS. Ripple is an app for students to report problems in their individual schools. … Read More