MCPS Releases Proposals for Reopening Schools

by Reade Fenner ’22 The United States has been battling COVID-19 since January, with schools throughout the country being forced to close from mid-March until the end of the school year. Although Montgomery County adapted to these circumstances by teaching students online, as the August 31 approaches, there are many questions as to how the 2020-2021 school year will begin. … Read More

Britton Named Acting Principal for Upcoming School Year

by Jenna Bloom ‘21 Tim Britton, who has been an assistant principal at Sherwood for the past 3 years, will serve as the acting principal for the 2020-2021 school year. The June 2 announcement came a week after Eric Minus stepped down as principal to take an executive role in Baltimore County Public Schools. These changes to the Sherwood administrative … Read More

Minus Departs Sherwood for Position in Baltimore County

by Jenna Bloom ’21 Principal Eric Minus sent out a letter on June 23 to the Sherwood staff and community announcing his resignation, effective July 15. Minus is accepting a new role as Baltimore County Public School’s Executive Director, Research and Data Analytics. His position will oversee an office that facilitates and supports the implementation of the school district’s strategic … Read More

Thousands of Olney Protesters Join the Fight for Racial Equality

by Jenna Bloom ‘21 Sherwood students organized and led a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Olney on Sunday, June 7, to show solidarity with the Black community and fight for racial equality. Events like these have been occurring nationwide following the death of George Floyd and countless other black people at the hands of police.  The demonstration began at … Read More

COVID-19 Uncertainties Continue for Rising Seniors

by Shirley Zheng ‘21 As the Class of 2020 graduates, the focus and concerns for COVID-19 disruptions transitions to the rising seniors, the Class of 2021. As the number of coronavirus cases continue to spread and skyrocket nationally and globally, the Class of 2021 stumbles across many uncertainties for their senior year, such as virtual internships, revised college admission requirements, … Read More

The Future of the SAT and ACT Threatened by the Pandemic

by Jay Joseph ‘22 The pandemic forced the College Board to cancel all SAT Spring test dates. Starting August, the College Board will provide an SAT and SAT Subject test date every month through 2020. Two SAT School Day tests are available on September 23 and October 24 for those who are eligible. Testing centers may face smaller seating capacities … Read More

Positive News to Make You Smile (Part 4)

by Julia Robins ‘20 Most newspapers, magazines, and television newscasts show the same stressful and depressing stories of coronavirus, war, pollution, inequality, and divisive politics. Where are the uplifting stories? This constant negativity is harmful to one’s mental health. According to the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, television newscasts increase depression by 38 percent, and according to the Preventive … Read More

Maryland Planning for the Eventual Reopening of School Buildings

by Sudha Sudhaker ‘21 Following the release of a revision to the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) recovery plan for opening schools, Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) sent out a survey to all parents in the district to solicit their feedback about reopening school buildings in the Fall. The deadline for responses is Wednesday, July 8. The stated goal … Read More

Out of Necessity, Online Education Moving Forward

by Ella Casey ’21 With schools shut down for the rest of the academic year, we are left to wonder about the long-term impact of this shift to online education across the nation. Looking toward the future, if online learning ends up working out during this crisis it could show what needs to be done to create a national online … Read More

Pass/Incomplete Changes Traditional Reporting and Grading at Sherwood

by Shirley Zheng ‘21 On Tuesday, May 12, MCPS Board of Education released updated information regarding how the new Pass/Incomplete grading will play out for the rest of the school year– specifically how it will affect semester grades and GPAs on students’ transcripts.  The newly revised grading policy grants students additional flexibility and an opportunity to boost their grades by … Read More