County Pursues Closing of Academic Gap

by Christopher Sung ‘17 Junior Katerine Estrada immigrated to the United States believing in the American Dream. The daughter of a hardworking mother from Guatemala, Estrada passionately believes that sheer will can help her achieve her dream of one day becoming a police detective. “My goal is to serve my new home,” said Estrada. “I think becoming a detective will … Read More

Family Income and the SAT

by Alex Nnabue ‘18 The test preparation be- hind the College Board’s SAT is notorious for involving pricey tutoring sessions and prep books from a variety of companies. According to the Washington Post, average private tutoring in the Wash- ington area costs $2,399 for 12 hours at Kaplan Test Prep while The Princeton Review charges $1,500 for 12 hours. Other … Read More

PTSA Encourages Seniors To Apply for Scholarships

by Malec Fahmy ‘20 The PTSA is now accepting applications from seniors to receive one of approximately 20 different scholarships, ranging in awards from $300 to $20,000.These applications have a deadline of March 1, but it is suggested that the FASFA application be turned in by February 10. These various applications can be found on the Sherwood website. “Our hope … Read More

School Start Times May Be Changing Again

by Kayla Cohen ’17 Numerous education unions are lobbying the MCPS Board of Education to revert back to old bell times at no cost. On January 10, the Board met to discuss this recurring issue. The debate is ongoing, even among parents. The effect the time change has had on elementary school students motivates some parents towards wanting the old … Read More

Adderall Abuse Soars among Teens

by Lexi Matthews ‘18 With the pressure of APs, sports, and extracurricular activities often leaving students overwhelmed, many seek aids to this juggling act, and turn to what they see as a quick fix to make studying easier. A 2015 CDC survey discovered that 7.5 percent of high school seniors have found their alleged solution in pill form: Adderall. An … Read More

Young Republicans and Democrats Work in Pursuit of Common Ground

by Lexi Paidas ‘17 It is no secret that the amount of political discussion waxes and wanes in accordance with the presidential election years. Sherwood’s Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs are no strangers to political topics, and have been discussing the presidential election as well as debating topics of political, economic and social interest. Both the Young Democrats and … Read More

PTSA Meets on Mental Health

by Leah Peloff ‘18 For many decades, it has been evident that teenagers struggle with mental health. There are societal expectations that many teens feel they must conform to in order to be well-liked. Those who do not t this mold may feel singled-out, alone, or de- pressed, leading to the devastatingly com- mon spiral into eating disorders, cutting, and … Read More

New Formatives Bring Concerns

by Danielle Katz ‘18 Semester exams were eliminated be- ginning this school year, and MCPS staff and students were not shy to voice their opinions on the new Required Quarterly Assessments (RQAs). From views on how it does not prepare students for college to support in enforcing better work through the semester, MCPS had no scarcity of opinions on this … Read More

Did Social Media Rig the Presidential Election?

by Alex Nnabue ‘18 Harambe, the gorilla who was shot by a zoo ofcial, earned over 11,000 of the popular vote for U.S. president. Denzel Washington and the Pope endorsed Donald Trump. The top result on a Google search for “ national election count” declared that Trump led in the popular vote. There is only one problem with these stories: … Read More

New Digital Citizenship Program Launched

by Danielle Tobb ‘17 MCPS announced on October 19 that all middle schools in the county have of cially started to incorporate digital citizenship edu- cation into the curriculum, which provides the guidelines for using responsible behavior when using technology. By 2018, MCPS plans to expand the program to students in all grade levels. With the increasing use of technology … Read More