New Action Plan To Boost Math Success

By Ashley Yen ‘14 High school math classes in MCPS caught the attention of concerned parents, teachers and administrators after results had shown a majority of students failing math semester county exams. On July 1, Associate Superintendent for High Schools Christopher Garran sent a memo to all high school math resource teachers and administrators regarding a new effort to boost … Read More

Every Fifteen Minutes Canceled Due to Insufficiency of Resources

By Alec Perez ‘14 Contrary to expectations, Every Fifteen Minutes will not be occurring this spring. The school and PTSA determined that the inability to find volunteers was too big of a hurdle to overcome. Sharon St. Pierre, Sherwood’s PTSA President, had been a leading force in bringing the event to the school. “This program takes a great deal of … Read More

Senior Class SGA Makes Noteworthy Developments

By Mike Crooks ‘14 In many cases, the spirit of a class, or lack thereof, goes hand in hand with how organized the class officers of that class are and how well they communicate with their peers. With a new combination of representatives this school year, the Class of 2014 class officers have already displayed a large improvement in these … Read More

Gallup Student Poll Hopes To Reveal Optimism in Students

By Meagan Barrett ‘15 It’s become the new routine: each year, students are sat down in front of computers and anonymously asked some 20 questions about how they feel about their school, their life and their future. Gallup Education Practice, an organization whose purpose is to assist schools in finding ways to drive student success, has planned to distribute the … Read More

SAT Scores Reveal Extremes from Top to Bottom

by Steffani Carerra ‘14 Based on criteria including standardized test scores, MCPS is regarded as an exceptional school system compared to the national average; it sets a high standard for student achievement by expecting higher scores. Yet, there is a startling disparity when it comes to student performance among MCPS schools, revealed through the 2013 test scores of SAT/ACT standardized … Read More

Starr Strives To Reduce Achievement Gap

By Katie Mercogliano ‘14 The gap in academic achievement between high and low-income students is still problematic for MCPS and other school districts in the country. Granted, Maryland is ranked number one in progress for low-income students in 2013, according to “The New State Achievement Gap” report, but an alarming number of MCPS students in the lower section of the … Read More

Plans To Attain Additional Cameras

By Cal Wilson ‘14 Sometime in March, Sherwood is expanding its security system by 16 interior and 6 exterior cameras. Once established, new hallways, staircases, corners and fragments of some rooms will be visible on the monitors in the security office. The new cameras will provide “a great view inside and an excellent view outside the school,” said security team … Read More

FDA Plans to Take Trans Fats out of Foods: A Good Move

By Lucy Hurlbut ‘14 The FDA has required that artificial trans fats be listed on nutrition labels since 2006, however, it now wants to remove artificial trans fats from foods entirely. This is a great move, because they can have adverse affects on the body, including raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Read More

Starr Recommends New Start Times

By Vicky Florian ‘14 MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr has advocated a change in start and end times for high school students and intends to thoroughly investigate the various aspects of the subject. His proposal was unanimously approved by the Board of Education on October 8, meaning much more discussion and analysis of the details will follow. High schools in the … Read More