by Holland McCabe ’11 There is little argument that bomb threats, firearms, drugs and violent attacks have no place in a school for the safety of students. So to combat these threats, many school systems employ policies that automatically attach harsh consequences to dangerous infractions. Beyond the safety considerations, zero tolerance policies were put in place to objectively punish students. … Read More
by Arjun Singh ’12 Students go to school every day to socialize, participate in extracurricular activities and, most importantly, learn. However, negative influences such as drugs, alcohol and violence can infect the school environment and disrupt the safe haven that students need to succeed in school. MCPS schools use zero tolerance policies to limit these negative influences and promote safer … Read More
by Jessica Golding ’11 It is that dreaded moment of the day: quiz time. Throughout the week, it varies among which classes it occurs in, but the generalized feeling remains the same. “Ugh, quizzes,” many kids groan. But school does not have to feel this way. Just the type of quiz alone can have a huge mental impact on how … Read More
by Allie Sivak ’11 “Yeah, I saw it on Facebook,” is the nonchalant response that accounts for the knowledge of others’ relationship statuses, work information and day-to-day activities. Ever since this social networking site’s creation, it is all too convenient to see what old friends, current friends or even love interests are up to. With the simple click of a … Read More
by Holland McCabe ’11 For many juniors and seniors across the country, the college application process looms large and occupies much of students’ free time with researching colleges, writing essays and taking standardized tests. Parents, teachers and counselors push students to take AP courses and succeed at standardized tests, and throughout this process many do not pause to appraise the … Read More
With spring sport tryouts starting this week, it came to my attention that while the spring sports start, the winter sports have not finished. Many people play a variety of sports over the year, some play two seasons, some play all three. The date of tryouts for spring sports may bring up controversy in the world of Sherwood sports. The … Read More
by Brad Matthews ‘11 The international media has been swept up in recent months by the rise of WikiLeaks, which acquires diplomatic cables and classified documents (including those pertaining to our Mideast campaigns) and leaks them over the Internet for the entire world to see. WikiLeaks claims to be the final development in free speech and transparency, but one man … Read More
by Adam Kopp ‘11 Given America’s current involvement in the Middle East and the past century’s “Domino Theory”-inspired spats with communism, one might think that the United States would fully support a website with the stated purpose of “exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.” The website in question is WikiLeaks, … Read More
In 1999 Dr. Jerry Weast, then 52, was appointed Superintendent of Schools at MCPS. While in office, Weast led efforts to narrow Montgomery County’s achievement gap and to enroll more students in honors and AP classes. MSA scores rose 6.7 percent during Weast’s tenure. The rate of “highly qualified teachers” in MCPS rose 22.2 percent since 2004 and suspension rates … Read More
by Devin Cornelius ‘12 By enacting an open lunch policy, Sherwood would grant students a much-needed 40 minutes of freedom. It’s 10:53 and the bell finally rings, getting you out of a vapid history lecture. Ahh, lunchtime: your only free period to socialize, study, eat or even catch a quick nap. But strangely, you’re not as excited as you … Read More