by Russell Irons ’19 The results of the annual MCPS 2016- 2017 survey showed that staff morale at Sherwood is low. Nearly half of the staff surveyed disagreed with the statement that staff morale is positive. Many staff members felt there was a lack of communication throughout Sherwood, and they felt uninvolved with decision-making that correlated directly to their work. … Read More
by Mallory Carlson ’19 On January 12, Maryland became the second state in the nation (the first being Louisiana) to pass legislation that will prohibit colleges in the state to ask applicants about their criminal history. The House of Delegates overrode a 2017 veto by Governor Larry Hogan, and the bill responds to progressive advocacy groups’ priorities that having the … Read More
by Lexi Matthews ’18 Three new medical marijuana dispensaries, RISE in Bethesda, Potomac Holistics in Rockville, and Bloom Medicinals in Germantown, are set to open as some of the first dispensaries in Montgomery County in 2018, bringing the number of legal medical marijuana storefronts in the state to 22 and in the county to six. While medical marijuana was legalized … Read More
by Vendela Krenkel ’20 In a recent study done by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), a panel studied the effects of e-cigarettes on teenagers and adults. According to the New York Times, the evidence in the study is conclusive: e-cigarettes and vapes can be addictive. Nicotine intake from e-cigarettes is similar to that of regular cigarettes. Vapes contain similar toxic … Read More
by Izzy Pilot ’18 At the beginning of this school year, MCPS implemented myMCPS, a program designed to streamline resources such as Edline and Google Classroom into one website. After a lack of county-wide training and mixed feedback at the release of the program, myMCPS has been incorporated very slowly, if at all, into lessons. Though teachers must upload grades … Read More
by Katherine Sperduto ’19 The typical teenage job might be one such as hosting at the Greene Turtle in the Olney shopping center or lifeguarding at the Olney Indoor Swim Center. But for junior Thai Cao, life outside of school is much different compared to the normal teenagers’. On top of daily adolescent activities, Cao acts as CEO for the … Read More
by Jared Schwartz ’18 Beginning this school year, MCPS will pay for all high school juniors to take either the SAT or ACT. Neither exam will include the optional written portion of the test. Sherwood is one of 18 MCPS high schools that will offer the SAT during a school day, called SAT School Day. Students who choose to take … Read More
by Zach Weisenthal ’19 Teens across the United States anxiously await the letters that will determine their academic fate. Upon unsealing the envelope, students are greeted with tears of joy … or agony. As college admission season continues, many students’ acceptances into their desired school depend in part on their standardized test scores. However, many students have significant advantages over … Read More
by Emma Shuster ’18 For decades, MCPS has utilized semester exams as a strategy to test the cumulative knowledge of all students at the end of the semester. Starting at the beginning of last year, semester exams were replaced with “Required Quarterly Assessments” (RQAs) with hopes of increasing instructional time in the classroom as well as having a more frequent … Read More
by Noah Corman ’18 The Internet is near and dear to many in the United States. Numerous professions rely on secure Internet access, and some even place it in the same category as food, clothing, and shelter as a necessity to life. Just like those necessities, the Internet may soon have a price tag. Net neutrality dominated the Internet for … Read More